


The Boy Lost to Time

by na_na_na_batcat



Category: The Umbrella Academy (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Angst, Gen, Hurt Number Five | The Boy, Hurt/Comfort, Kid Number Five | The Boy, Number Five | The Boy Gets A Hug, Number Five | The Boy Needs A Hug, Number Five | The Boy-centric, Protective Siblings, Sibling Bonding, actually 13, or 14
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-10-15
Updated: 2020-12-06
Packaged: 2021-03-08 18:40:39
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 6
Words: 27,696
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27021397
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/na_na_na_batcat/pseuds/na_na_na_batcat
Summary: The boy that was spat out of the swirling blue portal was a mess. His mismatched and ill-fitted clothes were filthy and tattered to the point of almost falling apart. When he looked up Vanya found herself staring into the face of a ghost. "Five?" she gasped."Vanya." He stumbled towards her, all but collapsing into her arms. He said her name again. Soft and plaintive. She held him tightly. Her long lost brother had finally returned.AU: Five spends just under a year in the apocalypse instead of 45
Relationships: Number Five | The Boy & Diego Hargreeves, Number Five | The Boy & Klaus Hargreeves, Number Five | The Boy & The Hargreeves (Umbrella Academy), Number Five | The Boy & Vanya Hargreeves, The Hargreeves Family
Comments: 147
Kudos: 577





	1. Chapter 1

Number Five sat on the ground working the same equation over and over again on the crumbling wall which used to be part of the Umbrella Academy’s kitchen. Night was falling. The days had been growing shorter as the air grew colder. A few days ago black snow had fallen from the ashen clouds and coated the ground in filthy sludge. Five hated the nights. The days were never bright, little sunlight penetrating through the heavy layer of smog. The nights were black. Everything outside of the tiny circle of light created by his fire was a void from which echoed the scuttling of hundreds of insects just waiting for him to die.

He almost missed the days when everything was on fire. Even if the smell of burning corpses made it near impossible to keep down what little food he scrounged up, at least then there had been constant light.

Five had been trapped in this post-apocalyptic wasteland for almost a year. He wasn’t living; he was slowly dying. His arduous clinging to survival was just to delay the inevitable long enough for him to find the way out. He had to figure it out and soon. This world of ash and death was not one meant for life. It was just a question of which part of him it would snuff out first: his mind, his heart, or his body.

Sometimes he heard voices. Sometimes he saw figures out of the corner of his eye. This terrified him. He couldn’t lose his mind. If he did he was dead. It was the worst at night when hallucinatory monsters howled from the oily shadows. The nights were getting longer. He feared that one day the sun would not return and he would be left in an eternal darkness.

Five pushed himself to his feet. He gazed at the equations in the dancing light of his fire. He knew he was on the right track. They weren’t _perfect_ , but they were so close that he could taste it. After months of tasting rot it was intoxicating. He wanted out, he _needed_ out, and he was oh so close. However, the difference between perfect and near perfect when it came to time travel could very well be the difference between making it in one piece and having his molecules scattered throughout the timestream.

The scuttling of cockroaches clawed at the inside of his skull. He could not wait for perfect. At least if he was reduced to atoms there would be nothing left for the roaches.

He raised his hands. With his equations clear in his mind, he called upon his powers. He was met with resistance, but he set his jaw and pushed. Blue light swirled around him. He tore at the fabric of time. The light became blinding. His body was being pressed from every direction. His ribs creaked, all the air was pushed from his lungs. He was being crushed. He was going to be squashed like a bug, nothing but a smear on the windshield of time.

The pressure was suddenly gone. He was falling through a vortex of colors he only saw for a second before he slammed into the ground. Forehead pressed to the earth, he gasped for breath. Even through the barrier of his scarf it was easier to fill his lungs than it had been for months. He pulled the face covering down with a gloved hand. For the first time in nearly a year he breathed air which was not choked with ash. There were sounds too—a bird’s song, the distant rumbling of cars…human voices.

“Did everyone else see the kid fall out of the maybe a miniature black hole maybe a temporal anomaly or was that just me?” a man’s voice asked. With shaking arms Five pushed himself to his knees. He kept his head bowed. He almost didn’t want to look up, afraid he would find himself alone still, the voice nothing but a trick of his mind. He heard shuffling and murmuring. Heart pounding he raised his head. Five familiar people stood in the courtyard of a building he knew. He drew in a shuddering breath. He’d done it. He was back.

His siblings were all adults now and the Academy looked more weathered than it had in the days of his childhood. They looked to be the same age they had been when he had buried them; when he had pulled their ash and blood coated bodies from the wreckage of their home and spent the better part of three days digging graves for them. Their bodies had started to bloat by then, the reek of putrefaction heavy in the air. Suddenly, Five was finding it hard to breathe again.

“Five?” a mousy haired woman gasped.

“Vanya.” Five stumbled to his feet and towards her. He recognized her from the photo on the back of her book, a copy of which he’d found in the remains of the city’s library. He’d never found her body or Ben’s. Her book had explained Ben’s absence. He had died many years before the apocalypse.

Five all but collapsed into Vanya’s arms. She staggered a half step back but quickly found her footing. He clung to her. She was warm. He could feel the rise and fall of her chest as she breathed, feel the air blow through his hair as she exhaled. He could hear the steady drumming of her heart beating. _She was alive._ “Vanya.” His voice was thick. His eyes stung. He buried his face in her neck. Crying was a waste of water.

“Why-why don’t we head inside? I’ll make you a fluffernutter,” she suggested. Five readily agreed. The emptiness in his stomach was a constant, unwanted companion.

He looked around as Vanya led him inside. All his siblings looked back at him with varying degrees of shock and confusion plain on their faces. They were all blessedly alive— _except_. Five looked over his shoulder at the solemn statue of Ben. His chest felt tight. He’d made it back but not far enough.

They all entered the kitchen. The stove had been replaced at some point, but otherwise the room hadn’t changed much. Vanya steered him to one of the chairs, the others also taking places around the table. Allison sat next to him. Klaus perched himself on top of the table. Vanya set a cutting board, knife, and loaf of bread on the table. She laid two slices on the board. Five pulled out another slice of bread and stuffed it in his mouth.

“What happened? Who did this?” Diego demanded. Mouth full of bread, Five shrugged. He didn’t know who caused the apocalypse. All he had to go on was a glass eye. Vanya set a bag of marshmallows and a jar of peanut butter on the table. Five grabbed the bag of marshmallows. He knew it was important to discuss what had happened – what was going to happen – with his siblings, but in that moment food ranked as the more pressing matter. He stuffed a handful of marshmallows into his mouth.

“Five, you’ve been gone for seventeen years, but you look like you’ve barely aged—” Luther began.

“Look homeless too. Which trust me, I’m a bit of an expert on street chic,” Klaus snorted as he gestured to himself and his outfit which consisted of only a fur trimmed coat and a long leather skirt.

The coat looked ratty but the skirt was in good shape. Five personally didn’t think the outfit would be a good choice for living in the apocalypse or on the streets. It wasn’t practical, offering little protection from the elements. Still, Five remembered being ten and jumping into Klaus’s room to find his brother clumsily applying make-up while wearing one of Allison’s uniform skirts. Any teasing comments Five might have considered making were immediately discarded in the face of Klaus's genuinely vulnerable expression upon being caught. He had instead complimented his brother’s makeup skills and asked if he was interested in sneaking out to Griddy’s that night

...and if Five later grudgingly allowed Klaus to practice his make-up skills on him? Well, he would deny it if anyone were to ask.

“Nice skirt,” Five commented, voice slightly muffled as he spoke with his mouth full.

“Oh, well, danke,” Klaus replied. Five reached for the peanut butter jar since Vanya had finished with it.

“Five!” Luther said, voice raised with impatience. Five stuck a peanut butter coated knife into his mouth. “Do you plan on explaining what happened? It’s been seventeen years.”

Five looked him in the eye and slowly pulled the knife from his mouth. “Not for me. It’s been 344 days.” He stuck the knife back into the jar and paused. “Not even a year. Felt a hell of a lot longer.” His stomach suddenly felt heavy. He left the knife in the jar.

“Where did you go?” Diego asked.

“When’s the better question,” Five replied absently. He could still clearly see his camp in the ruins of this very room, taste the ash in the air and feel its sting in his eyes. In many ways that empty hellscape felt more real than this warm kitchen—maybe this was all just a dream and any second now he would wake up with roaches crawling on his face.

“Oh, time travel! Called it!” Klaus exclaimed cheerily. Vanya offered Five the finished fluffernutter sandwich.

“I did. I dove into the depths of time, but instead of emerging as an acorn I drowned.” He took a vicious bite of the sandwich. “Dad was right. I wasn’t ready.” _Dad._ Five froze. He did not relish facing his father after having disappeared for seventeen years. "Where is Dad?" he asked.

"Dead," Diego answered bluntly. Five's stomach twisted. The newspaper he’d found his first day in the apocalypse had included an article about his father’s death. Just how much time did he have until doomsday.

“What’s today?” he demanded.

“Um, Sunday,” Allison answered.

“No, the date—the exact date!” Five shook his head rapidly. His insides were twisting with anxiety. He suddenly regretted eating so much.

“March 24, 2019. Why?” Allison replied.

“…Eight days.” Five paled. _Eight fucking days._ He was gonna be—he leaned over and vomited.

* * *

“Shit!” Klaus exclaimed when little Number Five hurled all over the floor. Instead of rearing back in surprised disgust like his other siblings, he immediately jumped off the table and to Five’s side. He rubbed the kid’s back as he threw up again. Some of it splattered onto his bare feet and ankles. “Uh-oh, I’m in the splash zone,” he commented, not actually caring. Being technically homeless for the vast majority of his adult life Klaus had spent time in some truly disgusting places. He was not fazed by a bit of vomit.

“S’rry,” Five coughed before dry heaving. Klaus wrapped an arm around his chest to better support him.

“What’s a little barely digested peanut butter between brothers?” he brushed Five’s greasy hair back from his face. Five shuddered but instead of gagging again a sob tore from his throat. Five clung to his coat as tears spilled from his eyes creating streaks in the dirt which coated his face. “H-hey, no reason for the waterworks, your big bro’s got you!” Klaus pulled Five closer so he could properly embrace him. It really was strange to think that he was now the older brother, but he could ponder on that later.

Five shook in his arms as he sobbed. Klaus looked around at the others with wide eyes. They gazed back at him with equally wide eyes. Wonderful. Admittedly, this was a rather shocking situation – Klaus absently started petting Five’s filthy-filthy hair and humming TLC’s “Waterfalls” as the kid cried – It wasn’t exactly everyday your long lost brother falls out of a time portal having barely aged but looking like he’d been through hell. Even not taking that into account, Five had never been a crier when they were kids – though Five was still a kid now. Lord, no drug trip was wackier than the reality of his weird ass life – he had never liked showing vulnerability in front of others, much preferring to slink off and lick his wounds in solitude.

Klaus’s humming faltered momentarily. Whatever had happened to his brother it really must have been hell. He held Five tighter.

By the end of “Waterfalls” Five had run out of tears, but he continued to tremble. Careful of the puddle of vomit, Allison approached with a glass of water that had a straw sticking out of it. “You need to stay hydrated, hun, but drink slowly okay?” she said in what was the gentlest voice Klaus had ever heard from her. Five took the glass in shaking hands. He sipped at it while leaning against Klaus’s chest. Allison frowned as she looked at his dirt coated face. The tear tracks were clear where they had cut through some of the grime on his cheeks. She fingered a lock of his oily hair. “Need to get you cleaned up too.”

“That, sweet sister, is a marvelous idea!” Klaus said as he picked Five up. The boy yelped and clung to him, water sloshing from the glass and onto both of them.

“Jesus, Klaus!” Allison grabbed the glass before Five dropped it. Klaus paid her no mind. Five was alarmingly light. If Klaus’s sense of balance wasn’t thrown off by all the alcohol and oxy in his system he was sure he would have been able to carry Five around the house without much issue. Seeing as he was three sheets to the wind, Klaus simply lifted Five over the mess on the floor and set him back down on his own two feet.

“A nice long soak in a bubble bath is exactly what this situation calls for,” he declared. Five smelled of smoke and decay— _of_ _dead things_. It reminded Klaus vaguely of the mausoleum. “Yep!” He grinned as he took the considerably less full glass back from Allison and wrapped his other arm around Five’s narrow shoulders. “Let’s get you smelling like roses instead of compost.”

Klaus swept out of the kitchen with Five in tow. None of the others followed. He assumed they were taking this chance to discuss what just happened. Klaus wasn’t too bummed about missing a ‘family meeting’ considering most such meetings ending in arguing and possibly something expensive being broken. He handed the glass back to Five who drank quietly as they walked through the house. Klaus kept up a stream of commentary, barely aware of what he was saying himself. Ben was a dark figure in the corner of his vision, not fully blocked out by the drugs but made hazy. Klaus wondered vaguely what he was making of Five’s sudden reappearance. The two nerds had been close before…well, before one disappeared without a trace and the other died.

He led Five into the bathroom on the floor with their childhood bedrooms. “Time to get this party started!” He sat down on the edge of the bathtub and started fiddling with the faucets until he got the water to what seemed to him a good temperature. He turned to Five. “Hey, test the water.”

Five set his glass down on the sink and shuffled closer. He pulled off his gloves, dropped them to the floor, and stuck his hand into the stream of water. “It’s so clean,” he said, eyes wide as he turned his hand over.

“Yeah, well, I was more asking about the temperature, but that’s true too,” Klaus replied awkwardly.

The awe Five displayed towards simple, clean running water caused his chest to feel tight. He grabbed the bottle of bubble bath and looked at it. “Well you won’t be smelling like roses, but you will smell like _tropical splash,_ ” he said the last two words with a dramatic flourish as he poured way too much of the stuff into the tub. Bubbles started forming quickly. Five laughed. Klaus looked at him in surprised.

Five was smiling, his eyes shining. “I missed you. I missed you all _so much_.”

“We missed you too. I’m glad your back, Fives,” Klaus stated. Things had been bad after Five disappeared. Then Ben died and things really went down the shitter. “We all had our theories on what happened to you.” Klaus watched the tube fill up, watched the light shine iridescent on the bubbles. “I was the only one who thought time travel. Everyone else thought that was too crazy. Which really? You were ranting about time travel when you ran off. Whatever. Our siblings have no imagination. But I do, and I would imagine different lives for you in different eras. Like maybe you were in 1960s Texas or 18th century London or some golden future. No matter when or where you were you were always living it up.” And sometimes Klaus resented that, resented that Five was smart enough to get the hell out of Dodge. “Seems that wasn’t the case.”

Five shook his head. “Future’s shit.”

“Should’ve known.” He snorted a humorless laugh.

Klaus turned off the taps. “I’ll find something to replace your hobo clothes.” He stood and started to leave the bathroom. “Amuse-toi bien!”

“Don’t go!” Five grabbed his arm. “Don’t leave me alone!”

“You…want me to stay while you take a bath?” he asked incredulously.

Five ducked his head, his shoulders drawing up. “The future…” His grip tightened on Klaus’s arm, his hands were trembling. “There’s nothing and no one. It was just me and the corpses and the things that fed on them.”

Klaus felt a shiver run up his spine. He longed for a joint. “Okay, okay.” He gently eased Five’s fingers out of their grip on his sleeve and gave his shaking hands a squeeze. “I’m not going anywhere.” Five looked up at him with a shaky smile. Klaus let go of his hands and clasped his shoulders. “Now hurry up and jump in before the water get cold!”

“Right.” Five shook himself. He pulled something out of the pocket of his bulky jacket and carefully set it on the sink next to the water glass before discarding the jacket. He had a sweater on under it with enough holes in it to reveal he was wearing another layer under it. Klaus picked up the object Five had set on the sink. He sat down on the lowered toilet lid as he inspected it. It was a glass eye of all things. It had a brown iris. The back had its serial number and said it was from some place called Meritech. “Don’t mess with that!” Five snatched the eye out of his hands.

“Hey! I was—” Klaus looked at Five. “Christ on a cracker, I could play xylophone on your ribs!” His brother had finished taking off his multiple tops and, yeah, his ribs were clearly defined, the knobs of his spine were visible, and his arms were too skinny. Explained why he scarfed down all that food in the kitchen—and why he couldn’t keep it all down.

“Bones don’t work like that,” Five stated as he set the glass eye back down. He started to unbuckle his belt, and Klaus turned away to give him privacy.

“Not the point. You look like a strong wind could blow you over,” he replied, looking at Ben as he spoke. Ben was clenching and relaxing his fists a gesture Klaus recognized as meaning his ghost brother was feeling frustrated by his inability to interact with the world and those around him.

“It wasn’t easy finding stuff to eat,” Five said. There was that tightness in Klaus’s chest again.

“We can get Mom to make you something when you’re done scraping off the ten layers of dirt and who knows what else you’ve got caked on. Maybe soup. Something easy for you to keep down unlike that sugary monstrosity you call a sandwich.”

“It’s good and it’s high energy,” Five said in a haughty tone. It was the same response he would give when any of them teased him about his food preferences when they were kids. Klaus smiled, feeling nostalgic.

There was the sound of water splashing as Five climbed into the bathtub. There were questions Klaus could ask: What was up with the glass eye? How had Five immediately recognized them as adults? What happened to cause the future to be so shit, and how far away were they from that shitty future?

Klaus didn’t ask any of those things. The information he had already gathered in the short amount of time little Number Five had been back painted a disturbing enough picture already. He wasn’t keen on learning more just yet. Klaus leaned forward, resting his elbows on his knees and dropping his head. He stared at a stain on a tile near the bathtub which he thought looked remarkably like Nicolas Cage but that might've just been the drugs. “’Killing me won’t bring back your goddamn honey’,” he muttered, giggling quietly to himself.

“Klaus?” Five’s voice pulled him from his wanderings some indiscernible amount of time later.

“Hm?” he hummed as he looked up at his brother. Five’s head was peeking out of the mountain of bubbles in the tube.

“Dad’s really…?” he trailed.

“As a doorknob.” Klaus nodded.

“It’s as a doornail,” Five corrected.

“Tomayto, tomahto.” He waved him off. “You arrived just in time for the funeral.”

“He’s really dead,” Five muttered more to himself than Klaus, a vein of something like relief in his voice.

Klaus threw his hands into the air and sang, “Ding, dong! The wicked wanker’s dead!”

“Don’t let Luther hear you singing that.” Five ducked his head, but Klaus still spotted the smile playing at the corners of his mouth.

“Ah, Luther can go suck a rotten egg. He’s already accused us all of murdering the old fart.”

“Murder? I thought Dad died of heart failure.” Five’s slight smile was replaced with a frown.

“Yes, but you see Dad’s monocle is missing so, according to Number One, it must’ve been foul play. Though, truly, the real mystery is dear old Dad having a heart to begin with.” Klaus pressed his hands to his chest and adopted a sappy tone of voice.

“Why don’t you ask Dad what happened?” Five asked as he rubbed soap into his hair. He asked it so casually as if it was simple, and maybe once it would have been…

“Would you talk to the old man if you didn’t have to?” Klaus replied with a slight bite in his tone. …But not anymore

“Of course not, but if there’s a chance he was murdered—” he began.

“He wasn’t murdered.” Klaus rolled his eyes. “That’s just Luther being Number One.”

Five squinted at him. “You can’t summon him because you’re drunk.” Klaus wondered what tipped the kid off: his actions or the reek of alcohol.

“Bingo! You got it in one!” Klaus exclaimed with bitter cheer. “Yes, through the wonders of self-medication I have kept the ghosts mostly silent for years.”

“Oh.” Five sounded disappointed. He slipped under the water to rinse out his hair.

Klaus’ stomach soured. He thought about the few remaining pills left in the little baggie tucked in his pocket. Disappointment was something little Number Five would have to get used to. It wasn’t like any of them had grown into well-functioning adults. He wondered what would happen to Five after the funeral when they all inevitably went their own ways again. He’d probably remain at the Academy with Mom, Pogo, and Luther. Maybe Luther would try and continue Five’s training, take him on missions, make him his little sidekick.

Five emerged from the water, shaking his head like a dog. Klaus’s gaze slid from him to Ben’s ghost. Maybe Luther would get Five killed on some meaningless mission. He reached into his pocket, his fingers brushed over the baggie, he pulled out a pack of cigarettes. “You mind if I smoke?” Klaus asked, ignoring Ben’s disapproving glare.

“Smoke what?” Five asked, blinking water from his eyes.

“Plain old, tobacco cigarettes,” he answered with a pointed look at Ben. It wasn’t like he was suggesting shooting up in front of the kid.

“Don’t blow smoke at me.” Five shrugged.

“I would never! I have class.” Klaus mimed insult as he moved so he was sitting on the ground next to the door. He cracked the door open and lit up a cigarette.

“With your street chic?” Five grinned impishly.

Klaus took a drag from the cigarette and blew the smoke out into the hall. “You’re one to talk, Mr. Hobo Couture,” Klaus replied with an easy laugh.

It was relieving to see Five joking around after how distressed he’d been earlier. It was also nice to be able to banter with one of his siblings without any of the bitter baggage that had stacked up over the years. Five was still just a kid who came from a time when they had been a semi-functional team. Klaus blew more smoke into the hall. Maybe he would stick around after the funeral. It wasn’t like he had anywhere else to stay, and with Dad gone the mansion was a pretty sick pad.

By the time he was done with his cigarette Five was done in the bath. With him wrapped in a large towel they walked down the hall to Five’s old bedroom. “It’s exactly as I left it,” Five said, standing in the center of the room and looking around. Klaus’s room had also been left almost exactly as it had been before he’d been kicked out at seventeen. The only difference being that it had been tidied up a bit and the bedsheets had been changed. Mom took care of their rooms even when they were just shrines to lost childhoods.

“Not exactly. Remember the money you had hidden in a shoebox at the back of your wardrobe?” Klaus asked as he sat down on Five’s bed. He wasn’t going to try and leave the kid alone again after how he’d responded before.

“You stole it!” Five exclaimed, rather outraged over what had been to Klaus’s memory less than thirty bucks

“Finders keepers,” Klaus sang. He picked up a 3D puzzle from Five’s bedside table. It was like a Rubik’s Cube but was shaped like a dodecahedron.

“You owe me,” Five grumbled, pouting as he turned to look for clothes in his wardrobe.

“Of course.” Klaus couldn’t help smiling. Little Number Five was kind of adorable.

Klaus fiddled with the puzzle while Five changed. He had no idea if he was making any real progress towards solving it or not. He’d gotten one side completely yellow but wasn’t sure where to go from there. Five suddenly snatched the puzzle out of his hands. “He—ey,” he whined, dragging the word out obnoxiously. Five ignored him. He was frowning at the puzzle, brows furrowed. He started twisting it. Five had changed into their old uniform, itchy knee high socks and all.

“Reggie’s not around to enforce his dress code. You can wear whatever you want.”

“I’m not walking around in pajamas in the middle of the day,” Five replied without looking up from the puzzle. Right, Five wouldn’t have any clothes outside their uniform and standard pajama sets. It occurred to Klaus that the threadbare, scavenged clothes Five had arrived in would have been the only clothes he’d ever chosen for himself. Wasn’t that depressing? Klaus was taking his baby brother shopping first opportunity he got.

“Why not? Live a little.” He grinned.

“There.” Instead of answering Five tossed him the now completed puzzle.

“Show off,” Klaus grumbled as he set the puzzle back down on Five’s bedside table.

The door opened and they both looked over to see Diego standing there. He was holding a cup with a straw in one of his hands. “Hey, time to get this funeral over with.” He was speaking to both of them, but he was looking only at Five.

Klaus looked out the window. Raindrops were pattering against the glass. “Now?”

“Luther insists-” Diego rolled his eyes. “-and personally I don’t want to waste any more time on the dead bastard.”

“Fair enough. Just let me grab my umbrella.” Klaus bounced off Five’s bed and jogged off to his old bedroom. Ben didn’t follow him. Instead he remained at Five’s side—an unseen shadow.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you to everyone who left comments!! They really make my day!! <3

“Here. It’s orange juice,” Diego said handing the cup to Five.

“Thanks,” Five replied. He sipped at the juice as they started down the stairs.

“You’re looking a lot better.”

“I feel a lot better.”

“Good.” He nodded. “Need to get you some different clothes so you don’t have to wear that stupid uniform anymore.”

“I like the uniform,” Five shrugged. Both Klaus and Diego had commented on him wearing their uniform, but Five didn’t see the problem. He was happy to be wearing it again. Clean and in his uniform he finally felt like himself again.

“The Umbrella Academy’s gone, Five. We’re not Daddy’s little soldiers anymore,” Diego sneered. They reached the bottom of the stairs.

“I…I know that,” he said, caught slightly off guard though he shouldn’t have been.

He had read Vanya’s book. He knew the Umbrella Academy had been dissolved for years, that aside from Luther his siblings had all moved out over a decade ago. He knew the fall out have been messy. Despite all this, a part of him still expected his siblings to be like they had at thirteen. Reading about how everyone and everything had changed was not the same as actually witnessing those changes. He stuffed his left hand into the pocket of his shorts. He gripped the glass eye. When he breathed he smelt burning flesh. Eight days. What was he going to do?

“Let’s get this _Fun!-_ eral rolling!” Klaus threw his arm around Five’s shoulders. Five quickly pulled his hand from his pocket to hold the cup of orange juice with both hands as Klaus jostled him. When he breathed he smelt cigarette smoke and cheap cologne. Not everything had changed, and at the end of the day they were his siblings no matter what. Five sipped at his juice and leaned into Klaus as they walked to where the others were gathering in the kitchen. Whatever he did it would have to wait until after the funeral.

With the family all gathered they headed out into the courtyard. It was cold and rainy. Five remained pressed to Klaus’s side as they gathered in the space before Ben’s statue, enjoying what warmth his now older brother had to offer and the shelter of his small umbrella. “Did something happen?” Mom asked with a wide smile as she looked around. Her movements were slightly stilted.

“Dad died, remember?” Allison replied.

“Oh.” Mom blinked, her smile slowly fading, “right of course.”

Five’s brow furrowed. Aside from when she was recharging it had never been more obvious that Mom was a robot. Usually Mom was so incredibly life-like, and such an anti-thesis of Dad, that Five sometimes wondered if she had developed some sentience. “Did something happen to Mom?” Five quietly asked Klaus at the same time Allison asked Diego a similar question. Five felt Klaus shrug. Diego, who was getting drenched because he’d given Mom his umbrella, reassured them that Mom was fine.

Five frowned. He thought Diego’s excuse that Mom just needed to recharge was flimsy at best. Unlike his siblings, Five had never lost sight of what Mom was. For all that she was made to care for them at the end of the day she was their father’s creation. That did not mean he didn’t care for her. He did not call her Mom just for show. Five appreciated her gentle presence and soft concern. However, he knew that like Pogo he could not blindly trust her, for before being his mother she was his father’s pawn. They all were…but Dad was dead now.

Luther tipped over Dad’s urn. His ashes spilled out into an unimpressive heap on the damp ground. “Probably would’ve been better with some wind,” Luther said, cradling the urn in his large hands. Five stared at the ashes. Dad had always seemed so large. Insurmountable. Five had always insisted to himself that he wasn’t afraid of Dad – of his angry gaze, his scalding words, the special training he subjected Five to, the dangerous missions he sent them on which stopped being fun after the first couple of close calls – but deep down he knew that was a lie. It wasn’t bravery or gall which fueled his constant rebellion, though he was more than happy to let his siblings believe that it was, it was impotent rage.

Five had the sudden, ridiculous urge to run up and kick the pile of ashes. He restrained himself, knowing that Luther would have a fit. His brother cut a much more intimidating figure at thirty than he had at thirteen, and Five had no desire to get into a fight with him over something so petty.

“Does anyone wish to speak?” Pogo asked, looking around at them all. No one spoke up. Five sipped at his juice. What was there to say? In the apocalypse Five had constantly yearned for his family—except for Dad. He had been tormented by nightmares of his father towering over him with condemnation in his cold gaze as he declared _‘I told you so’_ before forsaking him there to rot all alone at the end of the world.

“Very well,” Pogo sighed, “In all regards, Sir Reginald Hargreeves made me what I am today. For that alone, I shall forever be in his debt. He was my master and my friend and I shall miss him very much.” When Five had first read about Dad’s death in the apocalypse his immediate response was disbelief then there had been relief. He was free. “He leaves behind a complicated legacy—”

“He was a monster,” Diego interrupted. Klaus shook with laughter, his warm breath ruffling Five’s hair. “He was a bad person and a worse father. The world’s better off without him.”

“Diego!” Allison’s voice was sharp and short.

“My name is Number Two.” He spat rain water as he spoke. “You know why? Because our father couldn’t be bothered to give us actual names. He had Mom do it.”

“Would anyone like something to eat?” Mom’s voice warbled as she looked around at them all with slightly vacant eyes.

“No, Mom, it’s okay,” Vanya said.

“Oh, okay.” She smiled serenely as she stared out at nothing. They were all Dad’s creations, broken toy soldiers.

“He brought us together,” Five said, and suddenly he had all eyes on him. He straightened. “Dad was a bastard—” Klaus huffed a laugh, Diego looked approving, Luther looked _dis_ approving “—but if he hadn’t adopted me I wouldn’t have all of you as my siblings, you wouldn’t be my family, and, well…I wouldn’t want any other family." he shrugged, face hot with embarrassment. Before the apocalypse, he had on a few occasions imagined what his life would be like if instead of selling him his mother had loved him, but this was a ‘what if?’ he rarely entertained because it would mean losing his siblings.

 _Eight days._ Five had lost his family once already. It wasn’t an experience he wished to repeat.

“Aww, Fives,” Klaus cooed. He used the arm he already had slung over Five’s shoulders to pull him into a one armed hug and tried to kiss the side of his head.

“Get off, you idiot!” Five elbowed him.

“Never!” Rain began to fall on Five as Klaus let the umbrella fall to the ground, so he could wrap both his arms around him.

“Maybe you would’ve been better off with some other family,” Diego said, shattering the brief moment of levity. Klaus and Five froze in their roughhousing. Five looked over at Diego with blooming hurt, but Diego wasn’t looking at him. He was glaring at their father’s ashes. “After all ‘we were never a real family. We were our father’s creation, family in name but not in fact.’”

“Seriously?” Vanya hissed. “I didn’t mean it like that.”

“Those are your exact words! Words you meant so much that you wrote them down for all the world to read!” Diego turned towards her, throwing his arms out incredulously.

“That’s enough!” Luther boomed. “We are not doing this at Dad’s funeral.”

“That is what you would care about,” Diego sneered.

“Coming here was a mistake.” Vanya shook her head and stormed off.

“No matter how hard Dad kicked you, you always came crawling back to lick his boots.” Diego stepped forward and into Luther’s space, disgust twisting his face.

“Vanya!” Five slipped from Klaus’s arms and ran after his sister.

“You should stop talking now,” Luther warned Diego.

Five entered the house, slamming the door shut behind him. He shook rainwater from his hair. He could distantly hear shouting coming from out in the courtyard, but he wasn’t interested in that. He caught up with Vanya in the sitting room. She was on the phone. She was calling a taxi. His eyes flicked around the room and got caught on a large portrait hanging over the mantel. It was a portrait of himself. He didn’t recall sitting for the painting, and looking at the expression on his likeness’s face caused shame to burn in his chest. He looked so proud, so arrogant and self-assured. He suspected Dad didn’t hang it out of sentimentality for his missing son but as a warning to Five’s siblings of what happened to those who thought they knew better than their father.

Five tore his gaze away from the painting. “You’re leaving?” he asked as soon as Vanya hung up. He was unable to keep the note of alarm from his voice.

“I can’t stay here. They hate me.” She sighed and shook her head. She looked so tired. She looked so old. World-weary. All of his siblings did.

“Because of your book?” He had recognized where Diego’s quote had come from.

Vanya’s eyes widened. “How do you—"

“I read it. Found a copy of it in the future,” he answered. “I thought it was very insightful…but very sad to.” It had torn his heart to read about the collapse of his family all the while haunted by the conviction that had he been there things would have turned out differently. Maybe Ben would still be alive. “I’m sorry I wasn’t there all those years.”

“Why didn’t you come back sooner?” Vanya blurted. She clarified before he could answer, “I mean, when you time traveled from wherever, er, whenever you were why did you choose today to arrive rather than the day you disappeared.”

“The day I disappeared _was_ when I was aiming for, but time travel is an exact science I haven’t mastered. I’m lucky I wasn’t torn apart in the timestream.” Seventeen years lost. Eight days left. It really, really wasn’t ideal.

“You could’ve died?” Vanya paled.

“A lot of things could’ve gone wrong, but I…I just couldn’t stay there any longer.” The smell of death. Eyes as vacant as the glass one in his pocket. A world blanketed in silence and ash. “I was impatient and selfish and now I’m too late to save Ben!” he burst out.

Vanya’s expression softened. She reached out, gently laying a hand on his arm. “What happened to Ben…you’re not responsible for that, Five.”

“I should’ve been there. I could’ve done something!” he turned away from his sister, her hand falling away. His eyes stung. Panic was crushing his chest and making it hard to breath. “There’s only eight days an-and—" his breath hitched on a sob as tears spilled from his eyes. His portrait stared down at him mockingly. _“I don’t know what to do.”_ he scrubbed furiously at his face.

“Five…” Vanya pulled him into her arms. He gripped the back of her jacket and buried his face in her shoulder. “Eight days until what?”

“The end of the world,” He confessed in a whisper. The panic faded nearly as quickly as it had come. It left him feeling tired and hollowed out.

“What?” she stiffened.

Five raised his head so he could meet her eyes. “The world ends in eight days, and I have no idea how to stop it.”

Vanya stared at him for several long seconds. She opened her mouth as if to speak but then shook her head and closed it again. The silence stretched, but it wasn’t silence really. Five could hear the ticking of a clock, the hum of the air conditioning. He knew true silence and this wasn’t it. A type of silence which seeped into your bones, crawled into your mind, and threatened to eat you alive. “Have—" Vanya cleared her throat. Five blinked rapidly, focusing back in onto the present. “Have you told the others?”

“Just you,” He said as he used his blazer sleeves to dry his wet cheeks.

“Why tell me?” she asked.

“In your book you called me your confidant. Well, it was a two way street wasn’t it?” he shrugged.

Vanya was the one he told about blinking into a park when they were around seven. About how he had watched the other parents interacting with their children and realized that the way Dad treated them wasn’t normal. She was the one he told when he concluded that the way Dad treated them was wrong, though he didn’t share the specifics of what led him to that revelation—the details of Klaus’s special “training” were for him to share not Five. It was to Vanya he confided his wish to run away. It was together they began to tentatively plan. He had still needed to get the others on board. Klaus would be easy but Luther…it didn’t matter now. He was seventeen years too late.

In her book, Vanya had also expressed a suspicion that he had decided to run away alone. “I didn’t mean to disappear that day, Vanya. I tried everything I could to get back, you gotta believe me.”

“I, I know,” she didn’t sound all that confident. She squeezed his shoulders and continued more firmly, “and whatever's going on now we’ll figure it out _together._ Because I just got you back, and I’m not going to lose you again.”

The blaring of a car’s horn interrupted their conversation. They both looked towards the front door. “That must be my taxi,” Vanya commented, a note of hesitation in her voice.

“You know, I’d like to see your place. The mansion’s kind of depressing.” He intentionally did not look at his portrait hanging on the wall.

“No kidding,” Vanya snorted. “Let’s go.” They ran into Pogo on the way out, and Five let him know of his plan to stay with Vanya.

* * *

Vanya sat in the back of the taxi with Five— _with Five._ She couldn’t help but openly stare at him. Dressed in the Academy uniform he looked like a shadow of the past, and she half expected him to vanish again. They were silent during the ride. Five was preoccupied with watching the bustling city race by. When the light of a streetlamp illuminated his face his eyes were wide with wonder. It was much better than the haunted look he’d worn as he’d told her about the impending apocalypse.

Did she actually believe the world was about to end? She thought about the tattered clothes Five had arrived in, the way he’d inhaled whatever food he could get his hands on…the way he had cried, the strong stoic brother of her memories crumbling into a traumatized child—She believed him, and she was going to help him save the world because in a house full of former superheroes it was her, plain old ordinary Vanya, that he had turned to. Only in her most fantastical dreams had she ever dared to imagine being asked to help in something so momentous. She wouldn’t let Five down. She would show them all. Her heart pounded. Her hands trembled. She didn’t reach for her pills. It wasn’t anxiety buzzing under her skin; it was excitement.

The taxi dropped them off outside her building, and she led Five up to her apartment. “I know it’s not much,” she commented feeling self-conscious as he looked around her apartment. A freelance music teacher wasn’t exactly a high paying profession, and for all the bravery it had taken to publish her memoir it’s performance had been mediocre. It had only seen a significant spike in sales when a tabloid had linked it to superstar Allison Hargreeves because even the baring of her heart had to be made about perfect, beautiful Allison.

“I like it. It feels lived in, homey,” Five stated. ‘Unlike the mansion’ hung in the air unsaid. He turned to face her. “You should get locks for your window though.”

“I live on the second floor.” The locks on the large bay windows in her living room had been broken when she moved in. She’d put in a request with maintenance to get them fixed. Maintenance never came and she never bothered putting in a second request.

“Rapists can climb,” he said, a rather disturbing thing to hear coming from a thirteen year old’s mouth.

“You’re so weird,” Vanya laughed awkwardly. Or would he be fourteen now? He had said nearly a year had passed for him, yet instead of looking like he was maybe starting to grow out off it his uniform hung loose on him.

“Let me make you something to eat.” Vanya walked into her kitchen. She had bread, peanut butter, and marshmallows but decided a fluffernutter wasn’t the best option considering how the first one had gone down…and come right back up. “Scrambled eggs sound alright?” Easy on the stomach and nutritious.

“I’d eat anything,” Five replied as he followed her into the kitchen. Vanya snorted softly at what she took as a joke. She remembered Five as being the most picky eater among them. She pulled out what she needed to cook as well as a water bottle which she handed to Five.

“You can have a seat if you’d like.” She gestured to her small table. Five sat down in one of the mismatched chairs.

“You still play violin,” he commented.

“It’s the only thing I was ever good at.” Yet she was still only third chair. She cracked two eggs into a bowl. Average even in the very thing which was meant to set her apart.

“You’re an amazing violin player,” he stated with easy conviction. Vanya grinned and ducked her head, rapidly blinking away the tears which had suddenly formed. God, she had missed Five. She had felt so betrayed believing he had abandoned her. “I missed hearing you play. It was so quiet…” he trailed off. Vanya looked over to see him staring off into nothing.

“What sort of apocalypse was it?” she asked hesitantly. Five turned his face towards her, but his eyes were still distant. “Was it an asteroid strike, a virus—zombies?” she twisted her hands together anxiously.

Five blinked a few times. “It was total annihilation.” His voice was off, oddly flat, but his eyes were focused on her. “The fires burned for months. The smoke never cleared. I started to forget the warmth of the sun, what the stars looked like, what other people’s voices sounded like.”

“I…I can’t imagine what that must have been like,” Vanya said. She tried. The enormity of what he said slowly sinking in.

Five looked down and started fiddling with the cuff of his sleeve. “I knew that once I figured out how to travel back in time I could fix it—had to fix it.” He looked so young sitting there. He _was_ young. She didn’t think many adults would be able to handle being dropped into an apocalypse. Five was only thirteen. “I did whatever I had to in order to survive. I ate anything I could get my hands on: canned goods, cockroaches. There was no shortage of roaches. They really are the species that will outlive us all.”

Vanya felt cold with horror. She turned back to her eggs and started to whisk them. “You never have to worry about food again.” Her voice trembled.

“I know,” Five said. He didn’t sound all that confident.

Things had been turned on their head. Though they had all been the same age, Vanya had always sort of thought of Five as her older brother. He was scary smart and unafraid to challenge anyone, even Dad… _especially_ Dad. He had been the only one to blatantly ignore Dad’s systematic attempts to isolate her. His plans to run away, though unlikely to come to fruition, had allowed her to dream of a better life. Then he disappeared and with him gone her isolation was complete. Vanya poured the eggs into the pan. She had waited for him to come back. She had left the lights on and set out sandwiches for months but then the doubts had started to creep in. She gave up after a year.

She scooped the finished eggs onto a plate and carried them over to the table. “Thanks,” Five said, snatching up the fork.

“Go slow,” she warned. He nodded and instead of trying to shovel the eggs into his mouth took a reasonable bite. She really was the older one now— _by seventeen years!_ Vanya had never thought about being an older sister, had never had reason to, but she did like working with kids as a violin teacher. “Do you have any clues as to what causes the end of the world?” she asked her little brother.

Without taking his attention away from the eggs – it was heartbreaking watching how his focus narrowed as soon as food was presented. She wanted to feed him everything in her kitchen but knew his stomach wouldn’t be able to handle it – he pulled something from his pocket and handed it to her. She turned the object over in her hand her brow furrowing. “A glass eye?”

“Belongs to the person who causes it,” he spoke with his mouth full. Vanya’s nose scrunched with disgust, but she didn’t comment.

“How do you know?” she asked. Five froze, his fork slipping from his fingers. “Five?” She reached across the table and took his hand in hers. It was trembling.

“It-it’s not important.” So was his voice.

“Okay, that’s okay, we won’t talk about it anymore,” she reassured him though curiosity welled inside her. She always hated not knowing things. It reminded her of her childhood and being left out of everything. Even Five had been reluctant to speak in much detail to her about his training or missions.

“I have to find the owner of that eye!” he shouted suddenly causing her to jump. He gripped her hand tightly, desperately.

“And we’ll find them.” she laid her other hand on top of their joined ones. Five shook his head.

“I have to find them now. There’s only eight days—practically only seven now!” His eyes were bright with fear.

“That’s a whole week, that’s plenty of time, but you aren’t going to be able to do anything if your exhausted,” she said steadily as she rubbed circles in the back of his hand. His grip on her hand loosened. “Now, it’s getting late, and I think the smartest thing for us to do is head to bed so we can start fresh and early in the morning. How’s that sound to you?”

Five’s considered that for a moment, eyes darting about. “First thing?”

“First thing in the morning. I’ll make coffee.” She nodded.

“Okay.” He nodded. His breathing had mostly calmed. “That, that sounds like a good plan.”

“Are you going to finish your eggs?” she asked. Five answered by pulling his hand away from hers so he could snatch his fork back up and continue eating. Vanya smiled. She could get used to being the big sister. It felt good to be needed.

“I’ll find something you can sleep in.” She stood up from the table and walked towards her bedroom. There was shuffling behind her. She glanced over her shoulder to see Five trailing after her with his plate in hand. She entered her bedroom and started rifling through her dresser. It wasn’t hard to find an old band t-shirt and a pair of sweats for him to borrow seeing as he was about the same height as her. Five seemed smaller though, which was in itself a strange thought.

She traded him the clothes for his cleaned plate and sent him off to the bathroom to get changed. She took the plate back to the kitchen and grabbed her own sleep clothes by which time Five had finished changing. Vanya entered the bathroom. She stared at herself in the mirror. She thought she looked haggard. So much had happened. Momentarily alone the enormity of it all began to press down on her and the doubts swept in like dark clouds. She pulled out her pill bottle, popped the lid, and swallowed one dry.

She got ready for bed and exited the bathroom. She found Five hovering in the hallway, nervously pulling at the hem of the loose fitting t-shirt, looking lost and oh-so young. “I don’t know about you, but I’m exhausted,” she commented as she walked into her bedroom. Five followed after her. She did not think ‘like a lost puppy’ _she did not_. She climbed into bed and turned back to Five who was just standing there. “You can sleep on the couch if that’d be more comfortable,” she offered.

“No.” he shook his head and crawled into bed next to her.

“Goodnight,” she said, shutting off the lights and laying down.

“’Night,” he replied. Vanya was on the verge of sleep when he spoke again. “I’m afraid I’ll lose you all again,” he confessed to the darkness so softly she half thought she imagined it. She responded anyways.

“I’m not going anywhere, Five, I promise.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next chapter is where things really go off the rails. If you enjoyed please let me know! :)


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you so much to everyone who has commented!! I love reading what y'all think!! <3

Five was yanked from sleep by the hard press of a gun’s barrel. “Don’t make a sound,” a man breathed into his ear so close he could feel the scratch of his stumble. Five tensed, forcing himself not to move as adrenaline buzzed under his skin. “Here’s how this is going to go.” Artificial yellow light bled through the window blinds dimly illuminating the room. Over a sleeping Vanya a digital clock sat on a bedside table, boxy red numbers blinking 5:27. He had kicked the blankets off in his sleep or maybe Vanya had stolen them. “You’re going to come with me without making a fuss, _or_ I’ll blow your brains out.” The man pressed the gun harder into the softness of the underside of Five’s jaw for emphasis. He was a shadow in the corner of Five’s vision, more felt than seen. “And turn my attention to that pretty sister of yours.”

“Understand?” the man asked. Five stared at the back of Vanya’s head. He did not speak. He did not move. “Good boy.” The man gripped his arm and pulled him back off the bed. The springs creaked at they were relieved of his weight. Vanya didn’t stir. The man spun him around and lead him out of the bedroom, the gun now pressed between his shoulder blades.

“What do you want?” Five hissed as he was pushed through the kitchen.

“Quiet.” The man jabbed the gun into his back. Informative. Five ground his teeth and weighed his options.

Usually, he’d have no trouble taking down one guy with a handgun. Usually, he wasn’t severely malnourished after a year in the apocalypse. He wasn’t one hundred percent positive this was a fight he could win in his current condition, and if he lost it wasn’t just him in danger but Vanya too. He’d just have to play along until they were away from the apartment and his sister was safe. He only hoped there weren’t more people with guns waiting for them outside.

He stared straight ahead into the living room. The billowing of the curtains from the open bay windows guided his gaze to the old television. His breath caught in his chest at what he saw reflected in the black surface of the darkened screen: _Vanya!_

“Hey, asshole!” his sister shouted as she swung a kettle at the back of the man’s head. Five pivoted and grabbed the man’s wrist. He pushed the gun to the side. It went off, splintering the front door, as the man turned and raised his forearm to absorb the force of the blow from the kettle. Vanya stumbled back. Five tried to twist the gun from the man’s hand. The man swung his arm, tearing it from Five’s grip and slamming the pistol into the boy’s face. Blood exploded in his mouth. He staggered, blinking rapidly as the world rocked.

Five turned. The man had the pistol raised and aimed at Vanya. _Sightless eyes, cold hands._ He didn’t think. He tore through space. Five was spat out of the rift and sent slamming into Vanya. The gun went off. They both hit the ground. Five was slumped on top of Vanya. Pain radiated through his abdomen. His extremities tingled unpleasantly. “Five? Five!” Vanya grabbed his shoulders, voice panicked. He pushed up onto his elbows and turned.

“It’s over,” the man stated. He stood above them dressed in black the white curtain billowing behind him. Five bared blood stained teeth. _No_. He didn’t claw his way out of the apocalypse just to die here. He clenched his hands into fists. His powers burned under his skin. Space pushed against him. He pushed back. He fell into and then out of a portal, landing on the man’s back. Five felt something tear in his abdomen. His arms were alight with needle pricks of pain. He grabbed the curtain and slipped it over the man’s head, twisting the fabric and pulling it taunt.

The man stumbled, gun hand swinging upwards. The pistol went off. Plaster from the ceiling rained down on them like pale ash. The man clawed at Five with his other hand, pulling at his shirt and his arms but not succeeding in getting a solid hold. They rammed into the side of the sofa. Five tightened his legs which were locked around the man’s waist and gritted his teeth as pain shot through him.

The man grabbed a fistful of Five’s hair. He cried out as his head was yanked violently to the side. He saw Vanya staring up at them in wide eyed horror. Then he was staring down the barrel of the gun. Five sucked in a breath between clenched teeth. He released the curtain and wrapped both his hands around the man’s hand holding the gun. He pushed the gun a handful of inches to the side and pressed down on the man’s trigger finger.

The shot cracked like thunder. Five’s ears rang. The man’s fingers went limp, his hand fell away from Five’s hair. Red bloomed across the white fabric of the curtain. The man toppled to the side, taking Five down with him. Five hit the ground hard and fell into unconsciousness.

* * *

Diego wrapped his hands around his car’s steering wheel. His knuckles ached pleasantly. After dropping Klaus off at a cheap diner, Diego had gone on to spend the last several hours prowling the streets for crime. Cracking a few skulls had unwound the twisted feelings being back at the mansion had left him with, and he was now ready to call it a night— The police scanner situated in the passenger’s seat crackled to life. _“Gunshots reported on the second floor of Ridge Pointe Apartments on 31st street.”_ –or not. That was very close to where he was. He pressed down on the gas, pushing well over the speed limit. He could be there in just a couple of minutes. He took a sharp right turn. He wondered what the situation would be: home invasion, domestic dispute, drug deal gone wrong.

He pulled into the alley behind the apartment building, parking in the shadows. He’d arrived before any first responders. He jumped out of his car and entered the building through a maintenance door which should have been locked but wasn’t. Shabby security. Someone should get on that. Diego didn’t run into anyone in the stairwell and the hallway of the second floor was similarly empty. It was quiet, residents presumably hiding in their apartments. Knife in hand he crept along the hall, eyes scanning and ears pricked.

Unit 205. There was a muffled voice coming from inside. Diego moved closer. He raised a hand, gloved fingers brushing over a bullet hole in the door. The splintering indicated the shot had been fired from inside the apartment. He could still hear the muffled speaking. He pressed an ear to the door. “—ease! Five! Come on, Five!” Diego’s eyes widened. He stepped back and kicked the door in. It flung open and slammed into the wall with a bang. Vanya’s head snapped up. “Diego?” It wasn’t quite relief in her expression.

Vanya was knelt on the floor next to a dead man and a passed out Five. Kid was on his side, and she was applying pressure to his lower back with an already blood saturated blanket. “What the hell happened?” Diego demanded. He jumped over the corpse and dropped to his knees beside her.

“He…he was shot,” Vanya replied, her voice shaking like the rest of her. Diego pushed her hands and the blanket out of the way so he could get a look at the injury.

“No shit,” Diego hissed, watching blood pool and spill from the hole in Five’s back right above his hip.

“It...it’s all my fault. He was…he was protecting me,” Vanya cried, clutching the bloody blanket. Of course he was.

“Get me something to tie this in place with.” He took the blanket from her and pressed it back over the injury. Vanya didn’t immediately move. “Today!”

Vanya jumped to her feet and hurried off. Diego turned his gaze to Five’s lax face. _Fuck._ He was so small, and he was losing so much blood. Had they all been that small back during the heydays of the Umbrella Academy? How could the general public not only accept but celebrate sending kids into danger? His gaze flicked to the corpse. Five must have killed the intruder. They had never been anything but a spectacle to the public and an experiment to the old man. They never had the luxury of being children. “Here!” Vanya returned, shoving a belt at him.

Diego wrapped the belt around Five’s middle, tightening it to hold pressure on the injury. His brother’s blood wasn’t visible on his black gloves, but he could feel the tackiness of it with every move of his fingers. It was hardly the first time he’d had Five’s blood on him, but it was the first time in a very long time. _And he looked so little now._ Vanya whined about how she’d had it so much worse than the rest of them growing up. She’d droned melodramatic for three hundred something pages about how awful and mean it was of them to exclude her from the _‘club for children with superpowers’_ as if they had been playing pretend instead of fighting for their lives while she was practicing her violin, safe and tucked away.

She was a child. Then and now.

Diego picked Five up, one arm around his shoulders and the other behind his knees. He was completely limp in his arms, not responding to the jostling at all. Diego froze, ice flooding his veins. Was Five dead? Vanya cradled the back of Five’s head, lifting it from the awkward angle it was dangling at to instead rest in the crook of Diego’s shoulder. Warm breath tickled his neck. Relief washed through him. He held Five tighter. Alive. Diego strode out of the apartment. He’d make sure Five stayed that way.

“Police!” two figures entered the hall from the stairwell at the end.

“Eudora!” Diego grinned. Eudora lowered her gun as did her partner Beeman.

“I could’ve shot your stupid ass,” she scowled as she stalked towards him. She was beautiful as always. “What happened?” Her expression softened as her gaze fell upon Five.

“My brother’s been shot,” he answered bluntly. As much as he loved seeing Eudora, they didn’t have time to waste playing catch up.

“Your…” Eudora shook her head. “Beeman, secure the scene. I’m getting the kid to the hospital.”

“You got it, Patch.” Beeman headed towards Vanya’s apartment while the rest of them started down the stairs.

“The Academy would be better,” Diego stated when they reached the ground floor. He had been too focused on not bouncing Five around on the stairs to say anything before.

“That kid is not going anywhere but the hospital where he will be treated by licensed professionals.” Eudora turned to glare at him as she yanked the main entrance door open.

“That kid is my brother, and Mom is better than any MD.” Diego held Five tightly, felt the slight rise and fall of his chest. He didn’t trust strangers with Five’s life.

“We don’t have time for this!” Vanya exclaimed, surprising him. He’d pretty much forgotten she was there. “The hospital’s closer and…Mom hasn’t been doing too well.” She said the last part quietly. It still felt like a punch to the gut because as much as he hated it she was right.

“Fine,” he sighed.

Eudora led them to where her unmarked cruiser was parked alongside the curb. She opened the back door and turned to Vanya. “Climb in and Diego will hand your brother in to you, okay?” she instructed. Vanya nodded and climbed into the back of the cop car without hesitation. Diego stooped and eased Five into the car with her help. Once he was settled, Diego placed his palm on Five’s chest, feeling it rise and fall as he breathed. For years he had assumed that Five had died. He had _mourned_ him.

Diego straightened and pushed the car door shut. He rounded the cruiser and climbed into the passenger’s seat. “Don’t touch anything,” Eudora warned. Diego held his hands up in surrender. She pulled away from the curb, red and blue lights flashing. “You’re Diego’s sister?” she asked pleasantly, but he recognized the beginnings of an interrogation.

“Yes, I’m Vanya…you wouldn’t have heard of me,” she answered. Diego rolled his eyes. Always with the self-pity.

“That’s not true. I read your book,” Eudora said, shooting him a sympathetic glance.

Everyone at the police academy had read it. Diego had already had a reputation as someone who was a bit difficult to work with, a hot head. Vanya’s damn book was the finale nail in the coffin, making him out to be some heartless bastard. It was impossible to work with anyone other than Eudora after that. He got kicked out for sucker punching a guy who was talking shit, personal shit about his family because Vanya decided to air their dirty laundry for all the world to read.

“Y-you did?” Vanya sounded embarrassed.

“I did. Now, it’s been awhile, but I don’t remember you mentioning a younger brother,” Eudora replied as they drove through a red light. Sirens sure were convenient.

“Oh, well, Five’s…not supposed to be younger,” Vanya answered. The questions were only going to get worse once they arrived at the hospital. Shit. Another reason going to the Academy would have been better.

“Five?” Eudora’s eyebrows rose. “Like your brother who went missing?”

“Not like,” Diego cut in. They were almost at the hospital, and he needed Eudora on his side. “That’s him. Time travel.”

“You’re serious?” her eyes flicked to his. There were suspicions that their powers were nothing but a hoax.

“As a heart attack,” he replied gravely. But Eudora knew him. She had seen what he could do.

“…Jesus,” she breathed.

Further questioning was delayed by their arrival at the Perseus Foundation Hospital. Eudora pulled into the ER bay, lights flaring. A physician followed by a couple of nurses with a gurney rushed out of the building. Diego and Eudora both jumped out of the cruiser. “What’s the situation?” the physician asked as Eudora opened the back door of the car.

“Thirteen year old male, gunshot to his lower right back, no exit wound,” Diego answered though the question had been directed at Eudora. The doctor glanced at him, her expression pinching with suspicion as she spotted the multiple knives he openly carried. She didn’t comment though, instead turning her attention to helping the nurses getting Five onto the gurney.

They started rolling Five towards the hospital. Diego made to follow them, but Eudora stepped into his path. “You cannot carry those knives in a hospital.” She jabbed his chest with a finger, hitting the strap of his knives’ harness. He frowned down at her finger. “You can put them in my cruiser. No one will mess with them.” He looked up. Five’s gurney was disappearing through the large sliding doors Vanya following close behind.

“Sure, yeah, whatever.” He quickly removed the harness. It wasn’t like he didn’t have other knives hidden on his person. He stowed it in Eudora’s cruiser and ran into the hospital. Diego spotted Vanya wringing her hands and standing off to the side as she tried to stay out of the way. Five was nowhere to be seen. “Where did they take him?” he demanded.

“Emergency surgery.” Vanya gestured to a heavy set of double doors.

Diego stood there, idle in the bustling ER, and felt adrift. He flexed his hands. His gloves were turning stiff from Five’s dried blood. A hand touched his shoulder. He looked over to see Eudora looking up at him. Her eyes were soft and warm. She didn’t say anything. She didn’t need to. Her hand remained on his shoulder, a mooring line. Diego looked around the room. He watched the nurses and doctors and other hospital staff move about as the minutes ticked by. He watched Vanya pick at the dried blood under her fingernails until a passing nurse offered to show her to a bathroom she could get cleaned up in.

It was shortly after Vanya left that they were approached by the physician who’d met them in the emergency bay. “Is Five okay?” Diego blurted before she could say anything.

“And who are you?” the doctor asked instead of answered.

“I’m his brother Diego. Who are you?” he demanded.

Her gaze flicked to Eudora before answering. “I’m Dr. Masih.”

“Why are you talking to us instead of helping Five?”

“I’m an emergency physician not a surgeon. It would be best if we continued this conversation privately.”

Dr. Masih led them down a narrow hallway and into a small conference room. “Five is a curious name,” she commented as she closed the door behind the three of them.

“It’s a nickname,” Diego answered shortly. Dr. Masih hummed, irritatingly calm and unaffected.

“How is he doing?” Eudora asked.

“Dr. Hill is a highly skilled trauma surgeon,” she replied.

“That doesn’t answer the question.” Diego crossed his arms over his chest.

“Five.” Masih frowned at the name. “Was already in a weakened state from severe malnutrition before he was shot.”

“But he’s going to be okay?” he demanded.

“Dr. Hill and his team are doing all they can,” Dr. Masih answered diplomatically. Diego ground his teeth in frustration. “However, his underlying poor health brings up other concerns. I’ve only seen this level of malnourishment when I worked with Red Cross—or in cases of extreme neglect.” And this is why they should have gone to the Academy.

“I don’t know anything about that. We just got Five back.” Diego shook his head. “But if I ever do find who put him in that state, I’ll bleed ‘em like a pig.”

“Don’t make threats like that in front of me,” Eudora told him off-handedly before addressing Dr. Masih. “Five was recently found after being missing for several years, and after tonight’s shooting it’s imperative to keep his presence here need-to-know.”

“It’s why were only using his nickname,” Diego added.

Dr. Masih nodded. “He’ll be logged as a John Doe, and I’ll see to it that all staff working with him know to practice discretion.”

“Thank you, Dr. Masih,” Eudora replied.

“You’ll be informed when he’s out of surgery,” Dr. Masih told them before leaving the room.

“I expect answers,” Eudora turned towards him with her hands on her hips.

“So do I,” he snorted. She frowned. “I honestly don’t know. I knew he was in bad shape when he showed up, but I hadn’t had the chance to spend much time with him. Vanya’s been around him more than I have.”

“I’ll go find her.” Eudora left.

Diego should’ve checked on Five before he left the mansion, but he’d been so keyed up after his brawl with Luther all he could think about was getting away from that damn place. Five had been in trouble, and he’d been none the wiser. Five might not…his hands tightened into fists, the stiff leather creaking in protest. He tore the bloody gloves from his hands and threw them onto the table in disgust. Five was strong. He would pull through.

* * *

The bathroom the nurse had shown Vanya to was empty aside from herself. Vanya stood before the sink. Her hands were covered in dried blood. They itched. She turned on the tap and stuck her hands under it. She scrubbed, watching the clear water turn to rust. She scrubbed till her hands were red and the water was clear again. Her hands still itched. She kept scrubbing.

She choked on a sob. It was all her fault. She reached for her pocket with a shaking hand. Her sleep pants didn’t have pockets. She didn’t have her medication. She didn’t even have shoes on. “Shit,” she whispered, leaning heavily on the counter. Five just got back and now he might die. “Shit! Shit!” she smacked her hands against the counter. Her palms stung. She tried to save him and instead he had to save her. It wasn’t fair to have him fall back into her life only to be ripped back out of it again a few hours later. He couldn’t die. He just couldn’t.

The door to the bathroom swung open. “It’s been awhile. I wanted to check if you were okay,” Detective Eudora said.

“S-sorry.” Vanya turned her back towards the other woman, self-conscious of her tear stained face.

“You don’t have to apologize for being upset. You went through something terrible tonight.” Eudora pulled a few paper towels from the dispenser as she spoke. “Here.” She offered them to Vanya.

“Thanks.” Vanya took them and dried her face.

“The doctors and nurses are doing all they can. Your brother’s in good hands,” Eudora stated.

Vanya sniffed. Her eyes felt puffy and red. “I can’t lose him again.”

“I know, but you’re going to get through this.” Eudora laid a hand on her shoulder. Vanya looked over at her. “Try and be strong, for Five’s sake.”

Vanya’s gaze fell to the floor. “I’ll try.” She curled her toes in from the cold tiles.

“Have faith in yourself. You’re more capable than you think,” Eudora stated giving her shoulder a hearty shake. Vanya smiled shyly. She wondered how Eudora and Diego knew each other. Were they dating? She hoped not. Eudora was much too nice for Diego.

She left the bathroom with Eudora and followed her to a small conference room. Diego was inside pacing. “Was beginning to think you ditched me,” he said to Eudora. He didn’t even look at Vanya, ignoring her as always.

“If only,” Eudora replied. Vanya sat down at one of the chairs around the oval table. Eudora pulled out the chair next to her and sat down. “Do you feel up to going over with me what happened back at your apartment?” She asked. Diego stopped his pacing and looked at Vanya, now deciding she was worthy of his acknowledgment.

With the weight of both their gazes on her, Vanya knew refusal wasn’t really an option. She began, “I was woken up by an unfamiliar voice. A man’s voice. He was telling Five to come with him. Threatening Five and me if he struggled—"

“He was targeting Five specifically?” Diego interrupted.

“I don’t know what he wanted with him,” she nodded. She couldn’t even begin to guess how the man could have possibly known Five was back.

“Nothing good,” Diego muttered.

“Who knows he’s back?” Eudora asked.

Diego started pacing again. “Only family. He just arrived to-yesterday evening. I didn’t even know he was at Vanya’s. I thought he was back at the Academy.”

“You don’t think…” Vanya trailed.

“Of course not! I’m not Luther!” he sneered.

“I didn’t mean—” she started weakly, but Diego plowed on now addressing Eudora.

“None of the family would’ve had the motive or the time to arrange an attack on Five.”

“Okay,” Eudora placated. “Are you sure no one else knows he’s here? If he was able to time travel is it possible someone else might have figured it out too and followed him.”

“Maybe.” His brow furrowed. “He did say he was stuck somewhere for a year before making it back here. Considering the shape he showed up in, he could’ve been living on the run or held captive.”

Vanya knew Diego’s theorizing was off but didn’t correct him. She didn’t want to draw attention to herself again. “What happened next, Vanya?” Eudora asked. Vanya sighed. What she wanted didn’t matter. It never did.

“They thought I was asleep, so I pretended I was. When they left the room I…” she continued. When she got to the part about how she had attacked the man Diego interrupted again.

“That was stupid. You could’ve gotten Five and yourself killed.”

“I had to do something,” she muttered, rubbing her hands together. They were still slightly pink and raw. She didn’t have her pills.

“You made yourself a liability,” he stated. Vanya winced. She sometimes missed Diego’s stutter. His words had hit less hard back then.

“Diego!” Eudora hissed.

“What? It’s true. Five’s trained to be a hero. Vanya’s not. The moment she put herself in that fight her safety became his first priority.”

“You think I don’t know that?” Vanya stood. Her chair banged against the wall, it echoed in her skull as a gunshot. “You think I don’t know it’s my fault?” Five slumped on top of her, nothing but deadweight for a few seconds that dragged into an eternity. She needed her pills. Her lungs were burning. Her eyes were swimming. She hated it. She hated Diego. She spun and fled from the room.

“You’re a real asshole, you know that?” Eudora said, the bang of the door slamming after Vanya still echoing.

“I don’t sugar coat shit.” Diego crossed his arms over his chest.

Eudora stood and walked across the room to the door. Hand on the handle she looked over her shoulder at him, gaze cold and unyielding. “Doesn’t mean you should fling it.” She yanked the door open and was gone. Diego stood alone in the center of an empty room.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I feel it's worth noting that everyone is an unreliable narrator. Also, I got so much shit to do in the next week. Three exams, a paper, data cleaning. So yeah.


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I have returned three exams later. They went well. Thank you to everyone who wished me luck <3 and as always the biggest thank you to everyone who commented!! Receiving comments really makes my day and helps motivate me! <3
> 
> Also, this story won't contain Luther/Allison. They will be shown to be very close, but it's meant to be platonic/familial.

Vanya sat slumped in a stiff chair in the ER waiting room. Her eyes were closed. Her vision burned orange from the bright lights of the room. She had no idea where Diego was, and frankly she didn’t give a damn. She was exhausted, a headache thumped steadily between her eyes in tune with her heart. There was no way she could sleep, and it had nothing to do with the uncomfortable chair and blazing fluorescents. The sun had risen. Five was still in surgery. A part of her wanted to scream at the injustice of it all, but she couldn’t find the motivation to even move. She almost feared receiving any news from his doctors, dreading that it would be bad news. At least in the liminality of this waiting room there was still a chance that her little brother would survive.

The orange of her vision darkened to red. “Would you like one?” a man’s voice asked. Vanya opened her eyes, blinking them rapidly until the light was no longer blinding. The man standing before her was of average height with rounded features. “The vending machine dropped two, and I thought you looked like you could go for some chocolate.” He was holding out a Hershey’s almond chocolate bar. “Eating chocolate picks me up when I’m feeling down. I should probably cut back,” he chuckled, patting his slightly protruding gut. Vanya stared at him, mind sluggish. “Sorry, I shouldn’t have bothered you. You clearly want to be left alone.” He started to move away.

“No.” Vanya sat up. She didn’t want to be alone. “I, um, I think I would like that chocolate.” She couldn’t immediately recall when she had last eaten. Had it been lunch yesterday?

The man started to offer the candy bar again, but quickly pulled it back with a playful smile. “You’re not allergic to nuts are you?”

“No allergies.” She shook her head.

“Great. Hate to cause an emergency even if this would be the best place for it.” He handed her the chocolate bar and sat down next to her. He held out a hand. “I’m Leonard Peabody.”

“Vanya Hargreeves.” She shook his hand.

* * *

Allison was packing. She had a flight back to California that afternoon. She’d thought going to her father’s funeral would allow her to find some closure. Instead it had ripped the scabs off old wounds. She laid the blouse she’d worn to the funeral in her suitcase. She rubbed the silken material between her fingers. She needed to see Five before she left to make sure he didn’t need anything and that he knew how to contact her.

“Hi.” She looked up to see Luther stepping into her room.

“Hey.” She smiled.

“You know it’s funny. I’ve had the same routine for the last four years. Now that I’m back down here I’m not quite sure what to do with myself,” he said.

“I know the feeling,” she replied. She’d been lost after losing custody of Claire and the collapse of her marriage. She hadn’t known what to do with herself.

“You must be eager to see Claire,” Luther commented.

“I didn’t think it was possible to miss a person this much.” Like a hole between her lungs where her heart should reside. “But I’ve got some things I need to do before I can see her again.” She had found direction in working to better herself—as a person and as a mother. Loosing Claire had been a wakeup call. She had made a vow to herself to never repeat her mistakes. “I’m planning on going to see Five and Vanya.” Pogo had told her Five was staying with Vanya after she had gone looking for the two after the funeral. “You should come.”

Allison had never missed the mansion and had often wished she could forget everything about the Umbrella Academy. She had never wished to forget Luther. Caught in the web of her own lies, she had often yearned for his simple earnestness. She knew this was what had drawn her to him when they were children. While everything about her had been built upon falsehoods, he was painfully genuine and honest in all he did. Luther had been like a breath of fresh air. Luther had also been easy to manipulate. Father had known this. She had known this.

“Oh, uh.” He turned his gaze from her to instead stare at a faded boy band poster hanging on her wall. “Dad’s monocle is still missing. I can’t just forget about that.” There was something he wasn’t telling her, there was something he had been keeping a secret since they had all reunited. He had never kept secrets from her before. She rounded her bed, so she could stand directly in front of him.

“Dad died because his heart gave out, Luther. Don’t turn his death into a mission,” Allison said harshly.

“Is that what you think this is?” he frowned, looking down at her with sad, puppy-dog eyes.

Allison sighed. She laid a hand on his broad shoulder. “I think there’s a reason you never left.” She gave his shoulder a squeeze before turning and walking out her childhood bedroom.

She found Pogo in Dad’s office and got Vanya’s address from him. She grabbed the keys to the car and headed out, passing Klaus asleep on the couch in his underwear on the way out. Vanya’s apartment was on the other side of the city but traffic was surprisingly light, and Allison got there in a reasonable amount of time. As she walked towards the front entrance of the building, she made note of a few police cars parked nearby. This was a rougher neighborhood, not the worst in the city by far, but she still disapproved of her powerless sister living here. Allison crossed the apartment’s lobby and started up the stairs. Vanya should really consider self-defense classes.

There was a cop in the hallway of the second floor. He was standing in front of a door with yellow police tape stretched across it. It was 502. Vanya’s unit. “What happened?” Allison demanded as she strode up to him.

“I’m sorry, ma’am, but I’m—” his eyes widened. “You’re Allison Hargreeves! My daughter loves you.”

“Is that so? I’d be happy to sign something for her.” The false smile was second nature.

“Really? That would make her year.” The officer started patting down his pockets. He pulled out a notepad and pen. He flipped the notepad to a blank page and handed it and the pen to her. “Oh, her name’s Grace.”

“That’s my mother’s name,” Allison commented, her smile softening into something more true as she wrote the signature.

“Thank you so much!” The officer grinned as he accepted back the notepad and pen.

“It’s no trouble,” she replied even as her pounding heart made an attempt to burst out of her chest. “However, there is something I could really use your help with, officer.”

“What is it?” he straightened.

“I came here to visit my sister. That’s her apartment.” She looked at the tapped off door, no longer making any attempt to mask the worry from her voice. “My brother was also staying with her. Can you tell me what happened to them?”

“Your brother and sister...well, there was a break in, shots were fired, someone was taken to the Perseus Foundation Hospital. I’m afraid that’s all I know,” he told her. Allison’s jaw tightened.

“Thank you for telling me,” she forced out before spinning on her heels and rushing away. Running down the stairs, she didn’t notice the two suited figures looming in the shadows of the above landing.

Back in the car, Allison focused intently on driving and not allowing her mind to wander to all the horrible ‘what ifs.’ They festered at the back of her mind barely held back by the monotony of switching lanes and speeding up to get through yellow lights before they turned red. Once she arrived at the hospital she had to go through the frustrating ordeal of finding a damn parking spot. She ended up parking ridiculously far out. She ran from the car to the ER entrance in her heels grateful that she had kept up her physical training.

Allison entered the ER waiting room with a light sheen of sweat coating her skin and her nerves fraying. Her eyes darted around quickly finding Vanya. She was sitting in the corner smiling at the man sitting next to her, perfectly fine. “Vanya!” Allison rushed towards her.

“Allison?” Vanya looked up at her in surprise. “What are you doing here?”

“What am I—I’m looking for you!” Allison’s temper flared. “I went to your apartment and found it crawling with cops. Do you have any idea how worried I was?”

“Well…I’m fine,” she mumbled, shrugging her shoulders awkwardly.

“Clearly. Where’s Five?” she replied shortly.

Vanya hunched her shoulder, shrinking in on herself. “Still in surgery last I heard. Nobody’s telling me anything.”

Allison took a deep breath. “Come on. We’re going to see him.”

“I don’t know if they’ll let us yet,” Vanya said, twisting her hands in her shirt. She was in sleep clothes, barefoot and clearly not wearing a bra. Allison narrowed her eyes at the man sitting next to Vanya. He smiled back at her, Allison’s expression hardened into a glare, she knew a fake smile when she saw one.

“They will,” Allison stated. She didn’t need her rumors to make that happen. Vanya nodded and stood.

“See you around?” the man asked.

“I think you might.” Vanya ducked her head, smiling bashfully. Allison pursed her lips.

* * *

Five woke to the beeping of machines. He opened his eyes and was blinded by white lights. He tried to move his arms but found himself caught by lines. The beeping became a cacophony as panic started to set in. He tried to get up. The backs of his hands stung as he pulled at the lines. Pain erupted in his back causing his muscles to seize. “Five!” the light was eclipsed by a concerned Vanya. Everything that had happened came flooding back, slamming into him like a tidal wave.

“Are you okay?” he asked his voice cracking.

“I should be asking you. You’re the one that got shot.” She gently pushed on his shoulders till he settled back down in the bed.

“You gave us a real scare,” Allison commented as she stepped up to stand next to the chair Vanya was sitting in. She laid a hand on his blanket covered knee. “How are you feeling?”

“Fine,” he said absently as he looked around. Unless the Academy’s infirmary had gotten a major redesign in the last seventeen years, he appeared to be in a hospital. Which was bizarre. Not once could Five recall himself or any of his siblings being taken to a hospital for medical treatment. Diego was also in the room sitting in a chair on the other side of the bed. Behind him a curtain was pulled across the room. Five assumed it separated them from the rest of the ward. “Why aren’t we at the Academy?”

Diego snorted. “Been asking myself that.”

A smiling man in scrubs dotted with tiny dogs pushed aside the curtain. "Hello, I'm your nurse Andy," he greeted. Five ignored him, leaning forward slightly to see past the curtain. There was a glass wall with a sliding door just beyond it, the illusion of privacy. He could see part of a nurses' station and a cop sitting in a chair. “Excuse me.” The nurse slipped around Diego’s chair to get to the machine that was still droning on. “Experiencing any discomfort, buddy?” he asked as he hit a button to shut the thing up.

“I’m not your buddy,” Five stated flatly. The nurse looked over at him, surprise flicking across his face.

“He told us he’s doing fine.” Allison smiled.

“Well, let us know if that changes,” the nurse said smiling again. “Need to put this clip back on your finger so the machine won’t keep going off.” He leaned over and tried to grab Five’s hand. Five pulled away sharply, tugging at the IV in the back of that hand. “Sorry.” The nurse immediately moved back. “I didn’t mean to frighten you.”

“I wasn’t frightened,” Five snarled.

“Sure you weren’t,” Diego snorted, picking up the clip and holding out a palm. Five laid his hand in his brother’s. Diego’s expression was pinched as he slipped the clip back onto his index finger.

“Don’t tell me you’re still afraid of needles,” Five said, assuming that the IV in his hand was making Diego uncomfortable.

“Shut up,” Diego glared at him. Five had not heard him stutter once since coming back. Even now when confronted by something which made him uncomfortable his speech was steady and firm.

“I’ll be outside if you need anything,” the nurse told them before leaving.

As soon as he was gone, Five asked the most pressing question. “How long have I been out?”

“Several hours,” Diego said. Five’s gaze found a clock on the wall. 11:50. Shit. Even more time wasted. Five moved to take out the IV on his hand next to Diego. “Whoa, that clip is staying on.” Diego grabbed his arm, broad hand fully enclosing his narrow wrist. Five stiffened. “If I have to listen to that machine’s wailing anymore I’m going to break it.”

“I’m not staying here.” Five pulled his arm out of his grip.

“I know it isn’t ideal, but you have to, Five, at least until they transfer you out of the ICU. Then maybe I can convince them to let us move you to the Academy’s infirmary,” Allison said.

Five shook his head. “There isn’t time for that.”

“What’s the rush? What’s going on, Five? Who was that guy who attacked you?” Diego streamed the questions together not giving Five a chance to respond before shooting off the next one.

“I don’t know,” he snapped. _How had that guy known Five was back?_

“You don’t know?” Diego raised an eyebrow. _It didn’t make any sense._

“That’s what I said,” Five growled in frustration. “It’s not important right now.”

“Then what is?” Allison rubbed his knee in an attempt to calm him.

 _‘The apocalypse,’_ he meant to say but found that his throat had suddenly closed up. When he looked at Allison instead of seeing her lively face he saw her skin coated in blood and ash and her lifeless eyes gazing at him with bottomless accusation. “Five?” Allison shook his knee. He snapped back into the present. His breathing was labored as if he had just been sprinting—or choking on ash. “Where did you go?” Five shook his head, still struggling to find his voice again.

“We just want to protect you,” Diego stated.

Five looked at his brother. “I don’t need protecting. I need to stop the apocalypse.” The words tore from his throat like crushed glass. Nothing else mattered if they were all dead in a week. “That’s where I went, and it’ll be here in a week if I don’t do something.”

“The…apocalypse. The end of the world as we know it, apocalypse—that apocalypse,” Diego said slowly, skepticism painting his tone.

“You want to say apocalypse one more time? Maybe sing a song, do a little jig?” Five sneered. There wasn’t time for this. “Vanya wasn’t nearly this slow on the uptake.”

“You knew about this?” Diego demanded, gaze cutting to Vanya accusingly.

“I, he, um—he told me last night because I was the only one he felt he could trust,” Vanya replied, starting out shaky but quickly gaining confidence.

“And look how well that turned out!” Diego gestured to Five laying in the hospital bed. Vanya winced, retreating into herself.

“It’s not her fault!” Five pushed himself up in bed, ignoring the pull on his stitches.

“Is everything alright in here?” the cop entered the room. Five’s expression went blank.

“Yeah, Rodrigues, everything’s just peachy,” Diego answered with casual familiarity. Five remembered that Vanya’s book had said he was training to become a police officer. She had said she thought it was a bad idea and Five agreed. It was a waste of Diego’s time and talent. The Umbrella Academy was necessary because the police were ineffective. The police often floundered handling simple hostage situations, and they were completely out of their depths with villains like Dr. Terminal.

Rodrigues looked at Five. The boy flashed him a grin that was more a baring of his teeth. “If you say so,” Rodrigues said dubiously.

“You haven’t happened to have heard anything from Eudora about our perp?” Diego asked.

“You know I can’t tell you that,” Rodrigues frowned.

“No one will know. Come on, it’s my family. Wouldn’t you want to know if it was your brother?” Diego wheedled.

“I ain’t got nothing to tell you, man. Last I heard from Patch was when she put me on protection duty.” Rodrigues shrugged.

“But you’ll tell me if you do hear anything?” he continued to press.

“I’ll be outside if there’s any trouble.” Rodrigues left, not completely pulling the curtain back into place. Five scowled.

“Damn.” Diego slumped back in his chair. “I was afraid of that. He got written up for giving me information on a case last month.” Seemed the cop thing hadn’t panned out.

“You’re lucky you didn’t get him fired. When are you going to wake up and get a real job?” Allison crossed her arms.

“Hey, I saved a woman the cops would’ve been too late for. That’s more real than the career you cheated your way into,” Diego said, pushing himself up in the chair again.

“Where are the clothes I was wearing?” Five interrupted. Someone had changed him out of the clothes he’d borrowed from Vanya and into a hospital gown. Which was disturbing to think about so he didn’t.

“The station. They would’ve been taken as evidence. Why?” Diego answered.

“The eye was in my pocket,” he said.

“What eye?” Allison asked. Five groaned. He was getting real tired of having to repeat the same information over again.

“It’s a glass eye that belongs to whoever causes the apocalypse,” Vanya said.

“Right…” Allison frowned.

“Look, I don’t care if you believe me, but I’m getting that eye back!” he burst out.

“Alright! Christ. I’ll get you back your eye _if_ you stay here. Deal? I need to go to the station anyways,” Diego offered. Five would rather go to the station with Diego, but he was admittedly not in the best shape and could see the logic in sending Diego to fetch it for him.

“Deal,” he agreed grudgingly. Didn’t mean he liked being stuck just sitting around

“Great, glad that’s settled.” Diego stood, ruffling Five’s hair as he did. The boy huffed and ducked away.

“Try not to get arrested,” Allison called as he left the room. She then rounded the bed and settled into the chair he had vacated. “Look, Five, I’m not saying I think you’re lying just…maybe you could be mistaken,” she spoke gently.

“And maybe I could be right. Is that a risk you’re willing to take?” he replied. Fear flashed across her face. Allison stood.

“I need to call Patrick. I’m going to miss my flight,” she stated. “You should get some rest,” she told Five with a tight smile before leaving the room.

“You can’t do this again. I thought you were going to die, going to…to bleed out right there on my living room floor,” Vanya said, her voice was brittle porcelain.

“I’m sorry,” Five said. He wasn’t sorry he got between his sister and a bullet, he would do that again in a heartbeat, but he was sorry he scared her.

“It wasn’t your fault.” She shook her head.

“It wasn’t yours either,” he insisted, but she was refusing to look at him.

“You really should try and get some sleep,” she said looking down at her hands folded in her lap.

* * *

Being a ghost kind of sucked. Ben did have it better than most ghosts. Having someone living he could talk to, a link to the tangible world, had kept him from being driven mad like most – he watched Klaus sprawled half naked on the couch and muttering in his sleep as he came down from his high. By Klaus’s standards, this was dignified – just barely. When Ben had returned from following Five, he had tried shouting to get Klaus to wake up, but it was a hopeless endeavor. So he sat and waited unable to do anything else just as he had been unable to do anything but watch as a gunman broke into Vanya’s apartment and terrorized his baby brother and sweet sister.

Being a ghost really sucked sometimes.

Klaus jolted awake with a strangled gasp. “Finally,” Ben huffed. Klaus stared at him, panting, for a moment before he slid off the couch and crawled over to his discarded clothes. “You need to go to the hospital.”

“I think I’d know if I was OD’ing,” Klaus stated without pausing in his rummaging through his clothes.

“Debatable but not the point. Five is. He was shot.” Perhaps Ben could have been less blunt, but Klaus had slept almost to noon, and it did get his brother’s attention.

“Little Number Five?” Klaus mumbled on a shaky breath. He fell backwards onto his ass, cigarette box and lighter in hand. “But he was fine. I mean, not fine-fine. Kid had clearly seen some serious shit, but he wasn’t…wasn’t…” Klaus struggled to light a cigarette with shaky hands. It could’ve been an emotional response; it could’ve been the start of withdrawal. “Shit!” he threw the lighter onto the ground.

“Someone broke into Vanya’s apartment last night. Five was shot. He was taken to the hospital,” Ben explained. As he was speaking, Klaus had gotten to his feet and walked over to a cabinet.

“One of these has got to be gold plated,” he muttered as he rifled through the antiques displayed on the shelves.

“Are you serious? Now is not the time to be thinking about getting high!” Ben shouted.

“Now is the exact time to be getting high!” Klaus spun to face him, raking a shaky hand through his wild hair. “I can’t—” He was interrupted by someone clearing their throat. Ben looked over to see Pogo standing in the entrance to the room. “Christ on a pogo stick, Pogo! Don’t sneak up on me. You want someone else dying of a heart attack in this house?”

“My apologies, Master Klaus, for interrupting…whatever this is. I have query for you,” Pogo said.

“Oh? Do tell.” Klaus wandered back over to his discarded cigarettes and lighter.

“Items from your father’s study have gone missing. In particular, an ornate box with pearl inlay,” Pogo explained. Ben wasn’t even surprised.

Klaus attempted again to light a cigarette, succeeding this time. “Really?” he breathed, gray smoke spilling from his mouth.

“Any idea where it went?” Pogo asked.

“No, no. No idea.” Klaus shook his head.

“Liar,” Ben stated with more bite than usual. He didn’t have the patience to be dealing with consequences of Klaus’s drug habit. He wanted to get back to the hospital to check on Five as soon as possible. He was tempted to go there by himself. However, he would prefer having Klaus come with him, that way he wouldn’t be completely stuck as an outside observer.

“Drop dead,” Klaus hissed. Actually, never mind.

“This is your problem. Have fun.” Ben stood and walked out of the sitting room.

“H-hey! Wait a minute!” Klaus called after him.

“Master Klaus?”

“Not, not you, Pogo!”

Ben stepped through the front door of the Academy and out into the day. The sun was high overhead. He wondered if it was hot. He looked at the other people as he started walking down the street, many were wearing jackets and sweaters, so it was probably cool then. Not that he would know. Ben did not feel heat or cold, pain or pleasure. Though he walked upon this earth he did not feel his feet hitting the ground. If he touched his face with his fingers there was no sensation. He was a disembodied consciousness commanding a mirage, his true body having rotted away years ago. He existed in a state of nonexistence.

It wasn’t hard to understand why most ghosts went mad.

“You’re not getting rid of me that easy, Benny boy!” Klaus jogged up to him, panting and coughing with a cigarette in hand.

“Decided to come to your senses?” Ben asked.

“Decided I had enough of Pogo talking my ear off,” Klaus replied. “He was all ‘do not smoke in the mansion’ ‘do put some clothes on’ ‘have you seen these important documents?’” He spoke with an exaggerated British accent.

“Important documents?” Ben frowned. Klaus shrugged as he took a drag from his cigarette. “Klaus!”

“They were just some of Dad’s stupid notes! They couldn’t have been that important, but if you think so we can go dumpster diving for them instead of visiting our baby brother in the hospital,” Klaus exclaimed. Ben was silent. “That’s what I thought.” They didn’t talk much for the rest of the walk. Klaus chain smoked the whole way. He had burned through the last of his cigarettes by the time they arrived at Perseus Foundation Hospital.

Klaus had no trouble finding the entrance to the ER waiting room. He’d ended up there himself enough times over the years. Ben looked around. The waiting room was moderately crowded…but no Vanya. She had been sitting in the waiting room when he had left. He hoped she was with Five now. “Yeah, I’m looking for my brother Five Hargreeves.” Klaus had sauntered up to the information desk and draped himself on it.

The middle aged woman behind the desk stared at him. She blinked. “Excuse me?”

“My brother, Five Hargreeves, I’d like you to look him up please,” Klaus said. He grabbed a flower topped pen from a mug and started fiddling with it. His coat sleeve fell as he did clearly displaying the patient band he still had on from rehab. Ben looked around. He noted that Klaus was getting a number of stares from the other people in the waiting room. A frail elderly woman, a mother with her feverish-looking son, a man and woman in business attire, a college student with a casted arm to name a few of Klaus's spectators. The mother with her son looked particularly mortified.

“ _Five_ Hargreeves? Like the number?” the receptionist asked.

“Bulls eyes!” Klaus gestured at her with the pen. “That’s F-I-V-why aren’t you typing?”

The mother stood, dragging her sick son with her as she stormed off. “Klaus, I think—” Ben began.

“Shush.” Klaus held a hand up in his face.

“I’m sorry.” The receptionist frowned.

“Not you, darling. Please continue.” Klaus grinned at her. Looking uncomfortable, she started typing on her computer. Klaus tapped the pen on the desk as she did.

The receptionist looked up a couple minutes later. “I’m sorry, but we don’t have a patient under that name.”

“What? That can’t be right. Maybe you spelled it wrong.” Klaus hopped up onto the desk and reached over to grab the receptionist’s monitor.

“Wha—sir! You can’t!” she exclaimed hands in the air as she pushed her chair back from the desk. The mother had returned. She had brought a security officer with her.

“Klaus, stop it!” Ben shouted. Klaus looked up from the monitor.

“You said Five was here!” Klaus pointed at him accusingly with the flower pen. Unfortunately, due to where everybody was standing it instead looked like he was shouting and gesturing at the security officer.

“Drop the weapon, sir!” the security officer aimed a taser at Klaus. The receptionist squeaked and ducked under the desk.

Klaus froze, arm still outstretched with the pen. “What weapon?”

“The pen! He means the pen, dumbass!” Ben shouted. Klaus’s eyes flicked to him.

“This?” he started waving the flower pen through the air. “What am I going to do with this?”

“I’m not giving you a second warning, buddy! Drop it!” the security officer adjusted his grip on the taser.

“What? It’s just pen, relax man,” Klaus laughed nervously. He did not drop the pen.

“Klaus,” Ben groaned. Klaus was going to get arrested over a flower pen at this rate. He’d gotten arrested for some pretty ridiculous reasons over the years, but this just might take the cake.

“The hell’s going on here?” Diego strode into the waiting room from an adjoining hall. He immediately moved to place himself in front of Klaus. Maybe Klaus wouldn’t be getting arrested after all, or he and Diego would both be getting arrested. Ben would just have to wait and see how this played out.

“Sir, I need you to move away. That man’s acting erratically,” the security officer stated.

“I’m armed and dangerous.” Klaus waved the flower pen in Diego’s face. The security officer tensed. Diego snatched the pen out of Klaus’s hand.

“You’re brainless and stupid!” he whacked Klaus on the head with the flower. “Look, I don’t know what my idiot brother did, but I guarantee he didn’t mean any harm.”

“He was scaring my son!” the mother shouted from where she was standing a safe distance away. Her poor son looked more miserable than afraid.

“And he’s very sorry,” Diego stated blandly.

“I was just trying to find Five,” Klaus said.

“He’s in the pediatric ICU on floor three,” Diego told him.

“It’s that bad?” Klaus asked, voice strained. Diego’s jaw tightened.

“It’s only because he just got out of surgery. He’s gonna be fine. First thing the little shit did when he woke up was try and leave,” Diego answered.

“That’s our Five,” Klaus smiled. Ben noted that the security officer had lowered his taser.

“Come on. He’s in room five,” Diego grabbed Klaus’s arm and pulled him off the desk.

“Ironic,” Klaus commented as Diego led him out of the waiting room and into the hall he had come from.

“Why aren’t you doing anything? He shouldn’t be allowed to remain the hospital!” the mother protested.

“The hospital’s very large. He won’t be anywhere near you or your son, ma’am,” the security officer replied.

Diego led them to an elevator. “I know it’s difficult for you, but try not to get into any more trouble,” he said as he punched the up button.

“You’re not coming?” Klaus asked

“I promised to pick something up for Five,” he answered. The doors of the elevator slid open. A young woman in colorful scrubs stepped out. Klaus slipped in after she had exited.

“Well, have fun on your errand then. Perhaps you’d consider picking me up a pack of cigs while you’re out?” he asked as he hit the button for the third floor. Diego rolled his eyes as the doors slid shut.

Thankfully, Klaus found his way to Five’s hospital room without further incident. There was a slight bump when the cop outside Five’s room asked to see an ID to confirm who Klaus was, and Klaus didn’t have any form of identification on him because of course he didn’t. Allison appeared before it could become a problem.

“How did you hear about what happened?” Allison asked as they walked into the hospital room.

Klaus glanced at Ben. “A little birdy told me.”

Ben headed straight for Five’s bedside. Five was pale from blood lose and gaunt from starvation. He looked so small and fragile with all the tubes and wires hooked up to him. Ben wanted desperately to hold him, would give anything just to talk to him. Five turned his head in Ben’s direction, and for a moment Ben could pretend he was seeing him. “Klaus?” Five tipped his head to the side and the illusion was broken.

“Mein bruder! haven’t been back even twenty-four hours and already making a ruckus! Never have I been so proud.” Klaus flounced to the bed and leaned over to hug him.

“Careful,” Allison warned, but she needn’t have. Despite his theatrics, Klaus was gentle as he wrapped his gangly arms around Five.

“Could’ve done without the ruckus,” Five stated.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I relate to Diego because I too have a horrible phobia of needles. I was getting better about it, but then I was forced to give blood while stuck in an ER back in February (everyone in that ER was a grade-A asshole) and now I found it difficult just coming across images of IV needles while doing some research for next chapter.
> 
> Anyways, some comic references in this chapter. Did Klaus's little side adventure serve a purpose? Consider the description of the people in the waiting room. I do like Luther, and he will eventually be caught up on what's going on. Hope you enjoyed this chapter and please leave a comment! I'd love to hear from you!! <3


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> UPPED THE RATING!! Primarily for graphic violence/gore
> 
> I got hit hard with depression induced writer's block. That's why this chapter took a bit. Thank you for your patience <3

“You look like you should be in a hospital bed, Vanny,” Klaus said, drumming his finger in time to the beeping of the machines. Five looked over at his sister. Slumped low in her seat, she did look exhausted.

“I’m not hurt.” Vanya shook her head.

“Well you look terrible,” Klaus stated.

“Klaus!” Allison scolded.

“What? She looks like she just fell off a week long bender and needs to spend the next week sleeping it off,” he laughed fingers drumming faster, falling out of sync with the machines.

Allison frowned at Vanya. “You do look tired.”

“’m fine,” she mumbled without looking up at Allison.

“You told me to rest. Seems you should take your own advice,” Five said. Vanya looked at him, her brow furrowed.

“The police are probably still at your apartment, so why don’t we head back to the Academy? You can sleep and freshen up there,” Allison suggested.

“I promise to sleep if you do,” Five offered.

“Alright,” Vanya sighed. “You better actually sleep.” She leaned forward and hugged him. Before the apocalypse Five had rarely hugged his siblings. Such an open display of affection exposed an exploitable weakness. Now he wanted to cling to his siblings and never let go. He didn’t care. The apocalypse had stripped him of his pride.

“I’ll make sure he does. I’ll sing lullabies if I must,” Klaus said.

“Don’t torture the boy,” Allison chuckled as she stepped forward after Vanya had moved back. “We’ll be back later.” She gently brushed his bangs out of his face. They had not spoken about the apocalypse since she had return with Klaus in tow after making her phone call. He did not know if she was still processing the shock of the news, or if she had decided to simply pretend it wasn’t happening.

“Ciao!” Klaus waved as their sisters left.

Five sank back into the bed. He stared up at the ceiling, the fluorescent lights stared back leaving burned after images on the insides of his eyelids when he shut them. Letting out a long breath, he turned his head to the side. He watched Klaus pick off his black nail polish. The machines beeped, the clock on the wall ticked, Klaus’s shoe tapped against the ground as he bounced his knee, outside he could hear people bustling about. His mind latched onto the sounds, jumping from fixating on one to the next till they mixed together into a dissonant symphony.

“Can you stop!” Five snapped.

Klaus looked over at him, his knee stuttering to a halt. “And why are those peepers of yours still open?”

“How am I supposed to sleep with all this damn noise and the lights?” he demanded.

“Young man,” Klaus gasped in falsetto, “watch your fucking language.” His brother stood and walked over to the bank of switches on the opposite wall. “Oh, like he hasn’t heard worse…hasn’t said worse” he muttered to no one as he fiddled with the switches till he found a combination that turned off about half the lights in the room, mainly the ones over the hospital bed. “’fraid I can’t do anything about the noise.” Klaus fell back into his chair. His fingers started drumming on the armrest.

Five grabbed his hand. “You can sit still,” he hissed, glaring at Klaus’s foot which had started tapping as soon as his fingers stilled.

“Right.” Klaus sat stiffly for several seconds. He fidgeted. “Of course.” He slouched in the chair, kicking his feet up onto the foot of Five’s bed. Five sighed, letting go of his brother’s hand.

If Five had to stay in this hospital for the time being, the least he could do was actually try and rest, that way he could recover as quickly as possible, but he couldn’t do that if he couldn’t fall asleep – the machines beeped, the clocked tick, the people bustled outside, Klaus started picked at his nails again but at least that wasn’t noisy, the intercom buzzed to life: _“Code Blue, CCU.”_ – Five squeezed his eyes shut, face screwing up.

Fingers carded through his hair. His eyes snapped open. “What?” he frowned at Klaus.

“Turn that frown upside down.” Klaus rubbed his thumb along his furrowed brow. “Just close your eyes and try to relax, Fives.” Five sighed and did just that. His brother kept running his fingers through his hair and soon started humming as well. Five focused on that, letting the sound of Klaus’s humming drown out all the others. Some of the songs were familiar, Five was sure he had heard them playing from Klaus’s or Allison’s rooms before, many were unfamiliar. He thought he recognized…

Five wasn’t sure what woke him. He wasn’t even sure that he had slept, but the fog which clouded his mind and Klaus’s absence from his side said he must have. “Stop nagging! When’d you turn into such an old lady,” Klaus was talking to a ghost as he paced about the room. No, Klaus said he didn’t see ghosts anymore. Five had been disappointed. He’d hoped to talk to Ben. Five watched Klaus with half-lidded eyes. He had now pushed the curtain back some and was chatting with Five’s nurse.

Five’s eyes fell shut again. He bobbed on the surface of consciousness only half aware of Klaus bustling around the room and muttering to himself. He’d almost fallen back asleep when shuffling at his bedside pulled him back up. Five blinked his eyes open. He looked over, expecting his nurse but instead saw Klaus messing with one of the IV stands.

The last time his nurse had been in to check on him, Five had insisted on knowing what they were pumping into his body. The two bags on the stand Klaus was messing with were an essential nutrients solution and morphine. He had demanded to be taken off the morphine. His nurse had said he’d speak to his doctor about adjusting his pain medication, a doctor Five had yet to meet though apparently he had spoken to Allison and Vanya while he’d still been unconscious. The IV on his other side was running Ringer’s lactate solution.

Light glinted off something metallic in Klaus’s hand. Five’s breath caught as he realized what it was. “What are you doing?” he demanded. Klaus jumped and looked down at him.

“F-Fives, you should still be sleeping. A growing boy needs his rest,” he chuckled nervously.

“What the hell are you doing, Klaus?” Five repeated. He pushed himself up, grunting as the action pulled at his stitches.

“I know this looks bad, but...but it’s…” he trailed bouncing on the balls of his feet.

Klaus had a syringe in his left hand and was griping the IV morphine bag in his other. “It looks like you’re trying to steal opioids from an ICU.”

“Keep your voice down," Klaus shushed him. "Nurse sexy had to take a shit and buddy cop is sleeping on the job. No one will know."

“Have you lost your damn mind?” he hissed. “You’re not sticking a dirty needle into a bag hooked up to me.”

“It’s from the hazardous waste bin. It was used on you.” Klaus gestured to a red trashcan on the opposite wall.

“The trashcan!” Five shouted.

“Shh, shh,” Klaus waved his hands, making as if to cover Five’s mouth but not following through with the action. Smart man. Five might've bitten him if he had. Klaus's panicked eyes darted to the room’s entrance. The curtain was fully pulled across the glass wall. Considering Klaus had the forethought to wait till the cop and nurse were distracted, Five could only hope he had also been smart enough to make sure the door was shut.

Five had known from Vanya’s book that Klaus had graduated from sipping on stolen alcohol and smoking weed to doing hard drugs, but he hadn’t appreciated how bad it was until that moment. He wondered if Klaus had been more than just drunk the day before. He wondered…“Were you planning this? Is that why you got Vanya and Allison to leave?”

“No. No, of course not. I only wanted to see you.” Five wasn’t sure he believed him. “But I, I _need_ it, Five. I’m crawling out of my skin here. And you don’t even want it—don’t even need it really. It’s not like Dad ever gave us anything stronger than Advil no matter how messed up we were.” Klaus laughed, shrill and terrible. The syringe was shaking in his hand, his eyes were wild with hunger.

Five hardly recognized his brother. It was like looking at a crude distortion of him, a funhouse mirror without any of the fun. “Get out.”

“What?” Klaus blinked. He shook his head. “No, no, no, Five, come on. I’m s—”

“ _Now_. Or I’ll shout and wake buddy cop up,” Five said. It was a complete bluff – Klaus stared at him mouth agape – but it seemed Klaus believed him. Klaus shut his mouth, teeth clicking together. He left the hospital room without another word, tossing the syringe back into the waste basket as he passed.

Five sat there breathing heavily. The machines beeped, the clock ticked, he hated his father. Five had seen the negative effects Klaus’s special training were having. All of their training was harsh, but Klaus’s was counterproductive. When Dad strapped him in a bullet proof vest, grabbed a gun, and told him to dodge…well, Five learned real fast how to dodge. When Dad locked Klaus in a mausoleum for hours on end he only become more afraid of the ghosts.

Five tried to help his brother. He jumped into the mausoleum a few times, but the consequences had been terrible for both him and Klaus when he was caught. He’d tried taking the attention away from Klaus by demanding more training and just generally doing all he could to earn his father’s ire, but Dad wasn’t stupid and quickly picked up on what he was doing.

Once after one of his own private training sessions in which he had performed exceptionally well, Five had risked asking his father about his approach to Klaus’s training. It was obvious it wasn’t working, and Five didn’t understand why his father wouldn’t try a different approach.

_“Number Four must learn to face his fears and stand on his own. Your attempts to interfere with his training are only doing him harm.”_

_“Your training is only doing harm! His fears are getting worse not better. Klaus is drowning in them!”_

_“If he cannot learn to swim then he deserves to drown. Now, Number Five, since you have the energy to argue then you must have the energy to keep training.”_

* * *

Eudora frowned at the report Beeman had given her on the shooter from Vanya Hargreeves’ apartment. They had no ID. The tips of the man’s fingers were all burned destroying his prints, facial recognition had come up with nothing, and he had no tattoos or other distinguishing features. They were still waiting on dental records, but she wasn’t holding her breath. Guy was a ghost.

“Hey, Eudora,” Diego greeted as he collapsed into the chair next to her desk. He picked up the report. “So what are we—”

“There is no we.” She snatched the report back. “And don’t call me that.”

“You weren’t complaining last night, Detective,” he smirked. Eudora pressed her lips together into a thin line.

“Last night,” she bit out, “I was a little preoccupied with keeping your brother from bleeding out. Speaking of which, why aren’t you at the hospital with Five?” He must be awake. She would need to get over to the hospital to talk with him.

“He’s why I’m here. Was there a fake eye with his belongings?” Diego asked.

“There was. Is it important?” Eudora replied. She’d thought the glass eye was odd, but a lot of things about this case were odd.

“What was that about fingerprints?” Diego gestured to the report.

“You can’t be a part of this, Diego. So just tell me what you know and let me do my job,” she stated.

“You know I’m good at this, so why won’t you let me help? He’s my brother.” Diego could have been a great detective, but he was just too used to playing outside the law. Instead he became a joke around the precinct, a wannabe superhero, and she got to endure all the ‘Lois Lane’ quips that her meathead co-workers never stopped thinking were the pinnacle of comedy.

“That’s exactly why you can’t be a part of this. Even if you were a cop, you wouldn’t be allowed anywhere near this case,” she said.

Diego leaned forward, eyes dark and burning. “But I’m not a cop, and I’m not stopping.” Beyond the headache he caused when he interfered with one of her cases, Eudora wished he would stop this stupid vigilante business because she knew it was just a matter of time until he got brought in on serious charges.

She stood up, report in hand. “I’ll be sure to ask Five about the eye when I’m taking his statement.”

“He’s not gonna give you anything useful. Old man instilled a healthy distrust of cops.” Diego leaned back in the chair, loose and casual, his previous intensity gone as quick as it came. “But if you were to give him that eye back it might get you on his good side. And I’d put in a good word for you, of course.” He grinned boyishly.

When Eudora was young and naïve she had been drawn in by his troubled past and boyish charm. His troubled past had quickly become a troubled present, and she had learned like so many foolish girls before her that she could not fix the bad boy. His smiles though—those never lost their ability to make her heart flutter. “Of course,” she replied tersely.

“He’s real upset about not having it. Wanted to come here and get it himself, but I promised I’d do it,” Diego said.

“Alright,” Eudora sighed, “but you’re telling me what’s so important about this eye.”

Eudora didn’t stop Diego from following her back to the evidence room. She pulled down the box for the case and set it on a metal table. She opened it and started looking through it. “The shooter. He was killed with his own gun,” she commented now that they were alone.

“Idiot probably shot himself,” Diego shrugged. Eudora found the evidence bag with the eye but waited to pull it out.

“We both know you don’t believe that. You said it yourself: Five’s trained. He’s not in any sort of trouble. It’s a clear case of self-defense,” she said.

“Obviously,” Diego stated gruffly, crossing his arms over his chest. Five wasn’t the only one who’d learned not to trust cops, and that was another part of Diego’s problem: he wanted to be one of them _in theory_.

“Regardless, taking a life has an impact on a person…even if it isn’t the first time.” Diego stiffened. “You should consider talking to him.” She held out the evidence bag. Diego took it, staring down at the eye. Eudora had no idea what he was thinking.

On paper, The Umbrella Academy had never killed, but it was pretty much an open secret that Reginald had covered up any fatal incidences involving them. When Eudora was a teenager and The Umbrella Academy was at the height of their popularity, her mom had forbidden anything related to them from the house. She’d said what was being done to those kids was horrible, and she wouldn’t have any part in supporting it. Back then Eudora had been furious with her mom. Now she understood.

“So what’s the story with the eye?” she asked.

Diego snorted. He looked up at her with a smirk. “Belongs to the man who’s going to end the world in a week.”

She frowned. “April Fools? Are you—”

“Shitting you? Nah. Kid’s adamant,” he stated.

“He’s clearly traumatized. You don’t actually believe…” she trailed.

“Something’s happening,” he shrugged. “Is it the end of the world? I don’t know, but I plan to find out.”

“I somehow doubt the end of the world will be this year’s cosmic April Fools’ joke,” she smiled. Time traveling thirteen year old? Sure, whatever, she could roll with the punches. Impending apocalypse? No can do, she had to draw the line in the sand somewhere.

“Never know. Universe has got a twisted sense of humor,” he grinned down at her. They had at some point gravitated to stand much closer to each other than necessary. She stepped back schooling her expression.

“I still need to take Five’s statement,” she stated. Stepping around him, she opened the door to the evidence room and walked into the hallway.

“I promised you a good word,” Diego followed her out.

“I’m not giving you a ride.”

“I have my own car.”

They drove to the hospital in their separate cars but walked together across the parking lot. Diego was trying to wheedle information about the shooter out of her when he was suddenly distracted. “Klaus?” he called to a man sitting on the curb outside the hospital. Eudora had never met Klaus, but she had heard of him. He looked about how she expected. “Don’t tell me you threatened someone else with a flower.” She didn’t want to know.

The sound of shattering glass had them all looking up. A window on the third floor had broken. It was followed by a series of pops. Gunshots. “That’s Five’s floor!” Diego stated. Eudora grabbed her radio from her belt. When she tried contacting Rodrigues all she got was static.

“Oh no, I left him all alone,” Klaus moaned. Eudora radioed for backup.

“What do you mean alone?” Diego exclaimed. “Where did—You know what? Never mind. Doesn’t matter.” He started towards the hospital entrance.

“Diego, wait!” Eudora grabbed his arm. “You have no idea what you’re running into. Backup is on its way.”

“I know my brother’s in there, and I’m not wasting any time,” he yanked his arm from her grasp. He looked at her, eyes dark and burning. “Now you can sit out here and wait for backup, Detective, or you can come with me and save lives.” He turned and ran towards the hospital Klaus scrambling after him. Eudora hesitated for a heartbeat then she was jogging after them.

“You give me agita!” She frowned at him.

“Glad to have you, ‘Dora!” He smiled at her.

* * *

The curtain in his hospital room was pushed back. Five perked up only to sag in disappointment when he saw that it was just his nurse carrying a covered tray. “Your meal tray’s arrived,” he said with a smile. His nurse was unerringly chipper. It was annoying. He set the tray down on a small table and rolled it into his reach. Five pulled the table even closer and yanked the lid off the tray. The smell of cooked food made his mouth water and his stomach clench, a reminder of the constant yawning emptiness. He grabbed the sandwich on the plate and took a bite without even bothering to check what sort of sandwich it was. It didn’t matter. “Don’t eat too fast, and stop when—”

“I know,” he snapped, mouth full. His nurse kept smiling, unaffected, he turned his attention to checking the IVs and related equipment. Five chewed slowly, carefully watching his nurse’s every move.

“Is there anything you need?” his nurse asked once he was done, smartly deciding against trying to check the IV sites in Five’s hands when none of his siblings were there to calm him.

“I need you to leave me alone,” Five replied. He hated having this stranger around him when he was injured and vulnerable, and it was even worse now that his siblings were all gone.

“Alright,” his nurse said, sounding sad rather than angry, before leaving.

Five turned his attention fully to his meal, actually appreciating the taste of what he was eating: whole wheat bread, turkey, spinach leaves, tomato slices, provolone cheese, and mayonnaise. If given the choice would he choose to eat something like this? Turkey wasn’t his favorite meat and he didn’t like mayonnaise. He continued to eat. It felt strange to think of food in terms of taste. How food tasted stopped mattering months ago.

It had been a few months in. He’d badly twisted his ankle on a fruitless search for supplies. He had sat there at the base of a small mountain of concrete which had once been a grocery store but had since been completely leveled. All he had been able to salvage were a few crushed cans of baked beans. He’d cut his hand trying to scoop them all out of the cans. He’d eaten them cold. They went fast. His ankle still couldn’t bear his weight.

He took another bite of the sandwich. He chewed methodically. He’d laid there for days at the base of that leveled grocery store. He had watched the cockroaches scuttle between narrow cracks in the wreckage. He imagined they were finding food which he could not hope to reach, and he hated them for flourishing as he withered away. He was dying, and he didn’t want to die. He didn’t ponder his actions beforehand, he simply acted on a basal drive for survival.

Five had trapped a passing cockroach in his hand, still squirming he stuffed the roach in his mouth and crushed it between his teeth. It had been like eating writhing vomit. He ate more of them anyways. What choice did he have? He took a bite of his sandwich. Chewing, he tasted roaches. He swallowed. Five regretted making Klaus leave. He wished one of his siblings would arrive. He could hear people outside, all the noises of the hospital, still he felt very alone…and the fires danced at the corners of his vision.

There was a sudden burst of gunfire. Five sucked in a breath and looked around, seeing nothing amiss in his blocked off room. There were screams. More gunfire, this time the spaced out shots of a pistol. “Shit!” He ripped the medical tape from the IV in the back of his hand. There was another burst of automatic fire. Glass shattered. Five pressed himself down on the bed as shots cut through his room, tearing the curtain and breaking the window. One of the machines next to his bed was hit and died in a rain of sparks.

Five pulled the IV needle from his hand and rolled off the bed. He landed on the floor with a pained grunt. He pressed his hand briefly to his side before turning his attention to the two IVs still in his other hand. He pulled them out hastily. Blood ran down the back of his hand in twin streams and wrapped around his wrist. There was the boom of a shotgun being fired. The cop Rodrigues fell into the room. A black object slid across the floor, and for a moment Five thought it was the cop’s gun. _“Rodrigues? Come in, Rodrigues.”_ Then a static distorted voice sounded from it, and he realized it was a radio. Rodrigues started dragging himself towards it, leaving behind a thick smear of blood in his wake.

Five was about to dart out from the cover of the hospital bed to grab the radio for him, when a man and women both dressed in suits and wearing masks that looked like the heads of old animatronics stepped into the room. The man walked up to Rodrigues, pointed his sawed-off shotgun at the back of his head, and pulled the trigger. The shot burst the cop’s head, splattering blood and brain matter across the floor and wall. A bloody eye rolled across the tile, optic nerve wagging like a tail. It hit and bounced off Five’s bare leg.

“This is the room,” the man commented.

“Yeah, so where’s the little bastard hiding?” the woman replied, sweeping the room with her assault rifle. In a flimsy hospital gown, Five huddled behind the bed. He looked at the eye and traced the blotchy blood trail it had made back to the red ruin which had once been a man’s head. He didn’t dare attempt jumping. In all likelihood, he wouldn’t be able to and all he would succeed in doing is giving his location away with the light of his powers.

Overhead the intercom sounded: _“Code silver, PICU.”_


	6. Chapter 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I have returned! Took me long enough, I know. This chapter was kinda a pain in the ass, and I'm still not wholly satisfied with it. On a lighter note, I took my last final Friday, so I'm free until mid-January. I want to thank all y'all who have commented, kudos, bookmarked, etc. I really appreciate your support of this story <3

“He couldn’t of gotten far hurt as he is,” the man stated as he walked further into the hospital room. Each step brought him closer to where Five was hiding. He stepped in a mound of brain matter, squashing it beneath his black loafer.

“Can’t be too sure. They told us he was special,” the woman replied, walking over to the room’s bathroom. Holding his breath, Five slid across the ground towards the foot of the bed. He shifted into a crouch, breathed out. He looked up at the man’s blue bear mask. Fitting. The man was as big as a bear, nearly as large as Luther—hopefully not as strong.

“True. Gotta be—” the man rounded the bed. Five sprung, slamming his elbow straight into his groin. “Oh, Lordy,” the man squeaked as he doubled over. Five ran towards the shattered glass wall, ignoring the burning pain in his back and the gore seeping into his yellow non-skid socks.

“The hell!” the woman pushed open the bathroom’s door. Five drove his shoulder into it. The door slammed into her, knocking her into the doorjamb. She cursed and kicked the door back open. The force of it sent Five stumbling back into broken glass. His ankle got caught on something and he fell. When he hit the ground, the pain whited out his vision for a second and tore a cry from his throat. “There you are.” The woman walked towards him, rifle held loosely at her side.

“What do you want?” Five growled as he pushed himself up, ignoring the bite of glass shards in his palms. His eyes darted around. He spotted the cop’s gun laying on the ground just a couple feet from him.

“To finish a job.” The woman started to raise her rifle. Five dove for the pistol. He clenched his jaw, feeling stitches rip. The woman started firing, bullets just barely missing him. He grabbed the pistol, swung it in the woman’s direction, and squeezed the trigger—once, twice, three times. The woman shouted and retreated back into the hospital room, clutching her bleeding bicep. The third shot had caught her in the arm.

“Hey! Hey!” someone shouted from behind Five. He spun around to see his nurse had scrambled out from the shelter of the central nurses’ station and was running towards him. “Come on, kiddo.” His nurse grabbed his arm and pulled him up to his feet.

“Kiddo is even worse than buddy,” Five stated as they sprinted back towards the nurses’ station. He wondered why the man had left the safety of it in the first place.

“Noted.” He flashed a grin. His smile was shattered as his teeth were blown from his head in a spray of red. For a moment, Five met his nurse’s horrified gaze before more shots tore through his body and slammed him to the ground. Five fell next to him. He twisted, the woman stood in the shattered entrance to his hospital room with her assault rifle raised. Five aimed the pistol at her chest and pulled the trigger—only to be met with the click of an empty magazine. She tipped her head to the side, pink dog mask grinning at him.

“Who do you work for? Why are they after me?” he demanded.

The man stepped past his partner and out into the hallway. “Your little time travel stunt? Well, it caught the attention of some very powerful people. They’d prefer you alive, but they’ll settle for dead,” the man stated. He stopped a few paces away from Five. He angled the shotgun at Five’s chest. “What’ll it be, kid?”

His nurse’s puppy patterned scrubs were being soaked through by his own blood. Five could hear children crying. These assholes had shot up a _pediatric_ ICU to get to him. He raised his hands in surrender. “fine, you win,” he snarled.

“Good.” The man lowered the shotgun. “You think I want to shoot a kid?” The man hauled Five up and slung him over his shoulder like a sack of flour. Five bit his lip to keep from crying out, he could feel blood seeping from torn stitches.

“Could’ve fooled me,” he grunted.

He felt the man’s should lift and fall as he shrugged. “That’s work. It’s rarely what you wanna do, but it’s what you gotta do.”

“Enough chatting,” the woman said as she knelt and rolled over the body of Five’s nurse. She grabbed his key card from the breast pocket of his scrubs. “Let’s get the hell out of here.”

* * *

Following Diego and his detective girlfriend up the emergency staircase in the hospital, Klaus felt like he was a kid again on a mission with the Umbrella Academy. Except he hadn’t been delegated to lookout or crowd control – that honor had been given to a couple of security guards they’d come across on the first floor.

At least he wasn’t high off his gourd. Royally screwing up a mission by popping what was supposed to be benzos but was actually ecstasy was the straw which broke the camel’s back and got him thrown out of the mansion for good. He said he was sorry, it was an honest mistake, but that didn’t matter to the old man. Suddenly, Klaus had found himself seventeen and homeless. He made it work.

They finally made it to the landing of the third floor. Klaus hung back, drumming his fingers anxiously on his thigh as Diego and Eudora coordinated to bust through. He knew he couldn’t be of any real help in this situation. It wasn’t as if he had kept up with any of their combat training from when they were kids, and even if he had he was never the best at it. Maybe he should’ve stayed outside, but it didn’t feel right to—not when Five was inside alone because Klaus had screwed up _again._

Diego threw the door open. “Police!” Eudora stepped out with her pistol raised, Diego right behind her with one of his knives. Seeing as things didn’t immediately erupt into chaos, Klaus followed them out. He felt jittery and out of tune as they walked along a quiet and seemingly deserted corridor. He was starting to sober up. Withdrawal would hit soon. Then the ghosts would come.

They walked past a brightly decorated playroom and arrived at the heavy double doors which lead to the PICU proper. The narrow windows were splattered with blood. The first real evidence that violence had occurred. Klaus’s hands trembled. He wished he _was_ high. Not completely trashed, just enough to take the edge off and keep the ghost and withdrawal at bay.

Diego and Eudora exchanged a glance. Same procedure as with the stairs, they went in first and when things didn’t explode into gunfire Klaus followed. It was chaos. The lights flickered. Broken glass was scattered across the floor. Blood painted the walls. People were screaming. Kids were crying. “Thank God you’re here,” stated a woman in a white coat. She was knelt on the ground stitching up a girl’s leg.

“Where’s the shooter?” Eudora asked. Klaus moved past them and ran towards Five’s room. He paused momentarily when he spotted the body of Andy, Five’s nurse, splayed outside the room. Klaus had spoken to him some before. The guy was handsome and sweet, and Klaus might’ve tried making a move if he hadn’t been distracted by drug cravings—he’d also spotted Andy’s wedding ring. Klaus didn’t care if people wanted to cheat, but he generally didn’t get with people already in a relationship because that shit could get messy fast.

Klaus entered Five’s hospital room, broken glass crunching under the soles of his shoes. There was another body inside. The cop. Otherwise the room was empty. The sheets on the bed were thrown back and the IV lines dangled unattached. “Five?” Klaus called as he peeked into the bathroom. Also empty. He stepped back out of the bathroom, out of the hospital room. His heart was fluttering like a bird and the cage of his ribs was too small.

He turned to see Diego running towards him, Eudora close behind. “Diego, Five’s—”

“They took him,” Diego cut him off, stone-faced. “Said they went through there. We can catch them if we’re quick.” He gestured to another set of double doors at the other end of the ward.

That was easier said than done as just shortly after passing through the other set of doors they came to a split in the hallway with no clear indication of which was the correct path. Diego growled in frustration, running his hands through his hair. “Okay. Eudora, you—”

“Klaus!” His head whipped around at the sound of his name. Diego was still talking but Klaus wasn’t listening. Part ways down the hall to the left stood Ben. Ben who had stayed behind with Five after Klaus left.

“He’s this way!” Klaus started towards Ben.

“What? How do you know?” Diego demanded.

“There isn’t time. Just trust me.” Klaus looked backed at Diego, imploring him to believe him this time even though his track record was far from shining. _“Please.”_

“You’re explaining later,” Diego stated as he started jogging down the left hand hallway.

Ben led them down the hall and around a corner in time to see the doors of an elevator sliding shut. Two people in suits were inside. The larger of the pair had a boy in a hospital gown slung over his shoulder. “Five!” Klaus shouted. Five pushed himself up and twisted. He met Klaus’s gaze. He lifted a hand…in a stiff wave? Why would he…? Diego threw one of his knives. The man jostled Five who slumped onto his shoulder with a curse. The doors closed. Except the elevator shaft doors which remained wedged open by Diego’s knife.

“Damn it!” Diego stumbled to a stop in front of the elevator. He slipped his hands into the gap and strained to force the doors open. Eudora holstered her pistol and grabbed onto one of the doors. Klaus grabbed the other. With a protesting shudder, the doors slid open revealing the empty shaft. The elevator had already moved down towards the floors below. Diego didn’t hesitate to leap into the shaft, landing on the elevator’s roof.

“Diego!” Eudora shouted. He held up a hand, indicating he was fine. “Oh my God, he’s such an idiot.” She massaged her temples. She turned to Klaus. “What was that sign Five made?”

“Sign?” Klaus’s brow furrowed. He looked up at the red-lettered ‘staff only’ sign hanging above the elevator as he considered the gesture Five had made as the door’s had slid shut. Sign. “’B.’”

“’B’?” Eudora frowned.

“’B’ as in bee, but why sign the letter—” he began.

“They’re taking him to the basement,” Ben interrupted.

“To the basement!” Klaus clasped his hands. He grinned at Eudora, a touch manic. “My brothers are brilliant.”

* * *

The elevator shook with the impact of something landing on the ceiling – the emergency maintenance hatch began to jiggle a moment later – or more accurately someone. “Wonderful,” the woman in the pink dog mask, Cha-Cha her partner had called her, sighed and pointed her assault rifle at the hatch. Five kicked, smashing his heel into the gunshot graze on her arm. “Shit!” she stumbled, bumping into the elevator wall.

“Hey!” the man holding him, Hazel, tightened his arm around his middle. Five clenched his jaw and started struggling in earnest. It hurt, but he wasn’t going to stop. Five had been bidding his time for the opportune moment to make a break for it, and clearly that time had come.

“Diego!” he shouted, because who else would be dumb enough to throw themselves into an open elevator shaft. The elevator dinged.

“Stop that!” Hazel shook him like a misbehaving dog. Five grunted, vaguely nauseous, having already been lightheaded from how he was being carried. He tried to elbow the man in the ribs but wasn’t at a good angle for it. The maintenance hatch flipped open, and a knife was thrown. Hazel let go of Five with a pained grunt. The boy fell to the ground, rolling back and knocking into a corner. Breathing shakily, Five pressed his shoulder into the wall, the shuddering of the elevator doing nothing to help steady him.

Diego swung into the elevator, kicking Cha-Cha in the abdomen. “Shouldn’t’ve messed with my family.” The elevator dinged.

“Better get hazard pay.” Hazel tore the knife from his leg, and tossed it to the ground. He gripped his shotgun in both hands and swung it at Diego’s jaw, too close of quarters to be firing it. Diego ducked and jabbed him in the solar plexus. Five snatched up the discarded knife. Cha-Cha made to slam the butt of her rifle into the back of Diego’s head. Five lunged, slashing the knife through her dress pants and into her Achilles tendon. She stumbled, pressing a hand to the wall to steady herself. Hazel slammed the sawed-off into Diego’s gut. He gasped, the air having been knocked out of him.

“Little shit!” Cha-Cha spat, pushing off the wall and spinning towards Five. She swung her foot like she was going to punt a football. Diego front kicked Hazel in the chest. Cha-Cha’s foot crashed into Five’s injured side, and he _shrieked_ as pain ripped through him. Diego whirled around. The elevator dinged and rattled to a halt.

“Get the fuck—” he locked his arm around her throat “—away from him!” Diego dragged her back. They stumbled through the opening elevator doors. Cha-Cha rammed him into the cement wall of cluttered corridor. She slammed her head back into his face. He shouted as blood burst from his nose leaving a smear of red on the pink surface of her mask. She tore free from his chokehold.

The elevator doors started to slid shut. Hazel stopped them with a large hand and stepped out into the hall. Cha-Cha turned, raising her rifle and squeezing the trigger. “Shit!” Diego threw himself to the floor. The rifle fire punched a line of holes in the wall above him. He pulled a knife from his sleeve and flicked it, sending it off in a wide arc.

“Diego,” Five croaked. He tried to get up, but sunk back to the ground with a pained whimper. The elevator doors slid shut, cutting him off from the fight.

Diego’s knife came around and pierced Cha-Cha’s trigger hand. She dropped the rifle and gripped her wrist. The knife had fully impaled her palm. Blood dripped from her fingertips. Diego snatched up the rifle. He heard the cocking of a pump-action shotgun. He dove behind some old medical equipment. There was a crack like thunder as the shot struck the ground where he’d been. He sprung to his feet and rounded on them with the rifle. He released a brief burst of fire.

“Hell!” the two circus rejects took shelter behind an industrial laundry bin that had been abandoned there. Diego was pretty sure he’d at least clipped the big guy. “This is a bust!” The shotgun cocking, Diego ducked back down. The old equipment was torn apart by the blast. Something sharp cut into his cheek. He stood with the rifle raised. He saw the assholes trying to retreat down the hall.

“Oh no, you don’t.” he fired at their backs. They dove into cover, the bullets splintered crates. “Shit.” The burst was ended prematurely by the magazine emptying. Hazel popped out of cover and fired the shotgun blindly. Diego flattened himself on the ground. The shot sprayed into the wall. He pushed himself up, leaving the rifle on the floor.

The two were running again, nearing the end of the hall. He started to go after them but ground to a halt in front of the elevator. _Five._ Diego drew a knife and threw it. He curved it around the corner the two had just disappeared around, knowing he probably wouldn’t hit either of them but unwilling to just let them escape. He punched the elevator button, slipping through the doors as soon as they were wide enough.

Five was slumped against the elevator wall. He raised his head sluggishly. The boy was covered in blood, and Diego didn’t know how much of it was his. “Five!” Diego dropped to his knees in front of him. He started patting Five down, checking him for injuries.

“Quit it,” Five whined, squirming and shoving at his arms weakly.

Diego cradled Five’s face in his hands. “Where are you hurt?”

“Stitches ripped, ‘m alright.” Five scowled at him, the effect dampened by his slightly smushed cheeks. “What happened to…” his eyes shifted to look over Diego’s shoulder.

“Gone.” His voice was stone as Five’s pained scream sounded in his mind. Diego leaned forward and pressed his forehead to Five’s. “Those freaks aren’t coming near you again.”

“They know I time traveled,” Five said, hands grasping Diego’s shirt.

“We’ll figure it out.” Diego shifted and pulled his brother into a hug.

“Maybe they know about the—what happens,” Five mumbled into his shoulder.

“We’ll figure it out,” Diego repeated. He leaned back and reached into his pocket. He pulled out the evidence bag with the glass eye. “Here. As promised.” Five sucked in a sharp breath and snatched the bag from his hand. He tore the eye out of the bag and turned it over in his hands. “Meet your approval?” Diego quirked an eyebrow. Five grunted, clenching the fake eye in his fist and holding it to his chest.

Pounding footsteps sounded from outside the elevator. They stiffened and looked at each other. “Stay,” Diego instructed as he stood and walked to the doors.

“Diego—” Five protested.

“Stay put.” he commanded. Drawing a knife, he pressed the button to open the doors. They slid apart and he step out into the corridor. He was met with the most welcome sight: Eudora aiming a gun at his face.

“Diego!” she lowered her weapon.

“Eudora!” he lowered his knife. She also had Klaus and a small team of SWAT with her.

“Is Five in there?” Klaus asked, slipping past the SWAT members and Eudora. Diego nodded. “Is he okay?”

“All things considered,” he replied.

“What happened to the shooters?” Eudora asked.

“They fled that way.” He gestured down the hall. Eudora and the SWAT team immediately moved to pursue them. Klaus bounded into the elevator. Diego hesitated, unsure who to join. Eudora stopped in front of him. She laid a hand on his arm.

“Let me handle this. They need you.” She jerked her chin towards Five and Klaus. He wrapped his hand around hers. Something seemed to be shifting between them lately—

“Kick ass!” he squeezed her hand. Eudora snorted.

“I always do,” she smirked. Diego reluctantly let go of her hand and watched her jog after the SWAT team. —mending maybe.

* * *

“Five! Fives!” Klaus pulled his brother into his arms and held him tight.

“Klaus!” Five squeaked.

“Don’t squeeze him. He’s hurt,” Ben scolded as he crouched next to them.

“Right, sorry.” Klaus loosed his grip but didn’t let go. “I’m sorry.” He wasn’t apologizing for hugging Five too tight. He pressed his face into the boy’s hair. “I’m so damn sorry. I was such a stupid idiot. I never should’ve left you alone.”

Five leaned back to look at him. “I told you to leave. Besides,” he shrugged, “you came back.”

“I’m gonna get clean.” The words spilled from his lips automatically, empty words he’d spoken a thousand times.

“Don’t. Don’t lie to him.” Ben shook his head. Five’s mouth had curved into a smile, believing in Klaus as no one had in years.

“I mean it,” Klaus stated. “I’m really gonna get clean this time.” He didn’t want Five to ever stop believing him, trusting him. Ben’s expression shifted from disapproval to quiet thoughtfulness. Someone cleared their throat. Klaus looked over to see Diego standing behind them. He wondered how long he’d been listening.

“Let’s get out of here.” Diego hit the button for the ground floor. “I don’t know about you guys, but I’ve had enough of hospitals.”

“Shouldn’t Five be seen by a doctor first?” Klaus asked as he stood, and then gave Five a hand up.

“I’m not staying here a second longer,” Five stated, crossing his arms stubbornly. The elevator rattled as it ascended.

“I feel that is not what WebMD would advise,” Klaus commented as he took off his coat. A chill ran through him. The building was cold. He wrapped his coat around Five’s shoulders. Five uncrossed his arms and slipped them through the sleeves. The coat swallowed him, the tips of his fingers just peeking from the ends of the sleeves and the hem falling to his knees.

“Pogo can take care of him and the mansion’s secure. Should’ve taken him there in the first place,” Diego stated. The elevator dinged and the doors slid open. Diego stooped and picked Five up.

“Hey,” Five grumbled but he didn’t struggle, wrapping his arms around Diego’s neck instead.

They stepped out of the elevator and into a back hallway none of them had seen before. “So which way is out?” Klaus asked. Diego answered by starting to walk in what Klaus was sure was a randomly chosen direction. He sighed and followed him. They wandered through eerily empty hallways, their footsteps echoing. Klaus assumed that everyone had either been evacuated or were hiding in the many rooms they didn’t try entering.

As they walked, Klaus’s mind wandered to Five’s attempted kidnappers. He wondered if they would be caught. He hoped so. Yes, the cops had shown up en masse, but it had taken them time to get there and the hospital was large and had many exits. He hoped, but he wouldn’t hold his breath. He had no faith in cops. After years on the streets he’d come to know well the average cop: a high school bully who’d been given a badge and authority instead of being made to grow up. The good ones – like Diego’s girlfriend – were too few and too far between.

They finally found their way to the large lobby. Much of the furniture was knocked over and red and blue lights flashed from outside the large glass doors. “Don’t do anything stupid, and let me do the talking,” Diego said as they walked towards the door.

“Are we about to get shot? I’d like to not get shot,” Klaus stated.

“I don’t know. Do you plan on waving a pen around like an idiot again?” Diego replied. The glass doors slid open and Diego walked through them with Five in his arms. Hesitantly, Klaus followed them out into the crisp evening air. He shivered and sniffed. His nose was starting to run.

A spotlight was shone on them. Klaus threw his hands up to block the light. “I have no pen!” he shouted.

“We’re unarmed!” Diego stated.

“Come forward!” The spotlight tilted up so it was no longer blinding them. Diego started towards the police barricade, posture lose. Klaus walked behind him, wringing his jittery hands. They passed between two cop cars and Klaus blew out a slow breath. “Is your son injured?” an officer asked. Now that he thought about it, Five had been quiet for a while. Klaus looked over at him and saw why. Five was asleep in Diego’s arms, head resting on his shoulder.

“Just tired,” Diego said, adjusting Five slightly. Still asleep, Five’s nose crinkled and he tightened his arms around Diego’s shoulders. Klaus smiled. Asleep and drowning in the too big coat, Five looked even younger than he was. Shit, they'd almost lost him.

“Should still get checked out.” The officer gestured towards a cluster of ambulances set up a little ways behind the barrier.

“We’ll do just that. Thank you, officer.” Diego smiled, teeth flashing. Klaus knew they wouldn’t be doing that.

As predicted, they walked past the ambulances, giving them a wide berth as to not draw the attention of any of the people bustling around them. “This is definitely not what WebMD would advise,” Klaus muttered.

“If we let them check on him they’ll want to keep him here,” Diego replied.

“Well, let’s just hope we don’t end up on the morning news for kidnapping,” Klaus commented. Diego shot him a withering look.

They made it to where Diego had parked his car, and he fumbled to get his keys out while still holding Five. “Shit.” His keys fell to the pavement. Klaus snatched them up and unlocked the car. He crawled into the backseat.

“You’ve hogged our adorable brother long enough. Hand him over.” Klaus held his arms out. Diego rolled his eyes.

“If you wanted to lug him around you just had to ask. He does start getting heavy after a while,” Diego grumbled. Yeah, no. Klaus loved the kid, but he wouldn’t of volunteered to carry him around for an extended period of time.

Diego set Five down on the seat next to Klaus and tried to unwind his arms from around his neck. “No.” Five clung to Diego’s collar. “What did I…?” He blinked, his eyes glassy and half-lidded.

“We’re taking you home,” Diego said.

“…home,” he muttered.

Klaus wrapped an arm around Five’s shoulders and pulled him into his side. “That’s right, Cinco, the casa de Hargreeves.” Five looked up at him. He was barely awake. Diego eased the kid’s hands from his shirt. Klaus tossed him his keys. Diego went around and started the car. Ben phased into the passenger’s seat. He looked back at Five and Klaus with a fond smile. Diego came back around to the back seat. He had a first-aid kit. He turned on the overhead light. It had gotten dark outside. Night had fallen. This godawful day was finally over.

Diego pushed Klaus’s coat to the side and moved the hospital gown from Five’s back so he could check the gunshot wound—and suddenly Five was wide awake. He lashed out, aiming a strike at Diego’s throat. “Hell!” Diego dodged the strike and caught Five’s wrist. Five snarled. “Five, stop! It’s just me!”

“Klaus, say something!” Ben demanded. Klaus sent him an annoyed look. Obviously he wasn’t just going to sit there while Five flipped out.

“You’re safe, Five. It’s just _Diego_.” He made sure to speak calmly – he had experience trying to calm people in the throes of a bad trip. He knew shouting wasn’t going to help – and to say his brother’s name with as much condescension as possible. “Our favorite spandex clad dumbass.”

“It’s leather.” Diego glared at him. Five glanced between them, the tension seeping from his shoulders.

“Doesn’t change the fact you paired it with a bondage harness. Which—no judgement. ‘Chains and whips excite me’ too—”

“Oh my god,” Ben groaned, sinking down in the passenger’s seat. Diego looked mortified.

“—but there is a time and place. There are children around!” Klaus wrapped his arms around Five and pulled him against his chest with a dramatic flourish. The kid didn’t struggle. He’d caught up to where he was and had calmed down.

Diego stared at him, expression deadened. “I hate you. So much. It’s a _tactical_ harness.”

“I’m almost fourteen. I’m not a little kid,” Five stated.

“Oh? So you’re ready for the birds and—”

“No.” Diego cut Klaus off. “You are not giving Five the talk,” he stated. “Let me check your back?”

“It’s really not that bad,” Five said, but he did shift so that Diego could check the injury. “And I’m not stupid. I know you guys were talking about sex.”

Klaus guffawed. “When did…?” Diego paused in what he was doing.

“Pogo gave us the sex talk shortly after our birthday, uh, after we turned thirteen,” he answered.

“Oh, that’s right! I’d completely forgotten about that. Thank you for digging back up that horrible memory for me, Five,” Klaus grinned. No one wants to get The Talk from a talking chimpanzee that is also sorta one of your parental figures.

“You didn’t tear all your stitches. The bleeding's not bad. This’ll hold till we get to the Academy,” Diego stated as he fastened a fresh bandage on Five’s back.

“Told you,” Five huffed.

“Anyone ever told you you’re a real smartass?” Diego replied. He slipped out of the car and slammed the door.

“Hey, Five,” Klaus began. Five looked at him. He looked tired but fully awake. Diego got in the driver’s seat. “If you ever have any questions or concerns about sex or whatever—”

“No!” Diego and Ben chorused, not that Diego knew.

“Hey!” Klaus protested, actually a little offended. He was being serious. Yeah, Five was a little young right now, but in a handful of years…Klaus had stumbled blindly into sex when he was a teenager. Pogo’s talk, while clinically accurate, had not prepared him to navigate the social intricacies of intimate relationships—being homeless and deep into drugs did him no favors either. “I am definitely the most qualified among us to answer any questions, having had the most sex with the—”

“No more talking!” Diego turned on the radio. Rock music rumbled from the speakers.

“Don’t be such a—” Klaus began.

“My car, my rules,” Diego stated.

Klaus huffed and rolled his eyes. “Remember: no judgement,” he whispered to Five, his words barely audible over the heavy guitar.

**Author's Note:**

> I hope you enjoyed it! Please leave a comment if you have the time <3  
> My tumblr is [na-na-na-batcat](https://na-na-na-batcat.tumblr.com/) if you want to come say hi! (haha! guess who just learned how to do an html hyperlink? that's right! Twas I!)


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